Nitwit
by not-a-koala
Summary: Gill hates everything about Angela, no question about it...Right? But she's gonna change him whether he likes it or not. T for mild-ish language.
1. The Mission

Idiot. Imbecile. Stupid. Reckless. Gill hated Angela. He hated her stupid high pitched laugh, her lack of knowledge of _anything_, and her showoff, try-hard attitude. Her only good point was that she knew when to shut up. Sometimes. She always talked back to him when he told her to leave him alone. What was even worse was that her and Chase were two peas in a pod. They were equally sharp tongued when they were joined, though Angela's would fade when they were apart. He was some sort of fuel for her arrogance.

She showed up on the island bright-eyed, and in about a week, Gill despised her. The rest of the island loved her for whatever reason, and she had only been there for a week. A week! Chase and she clicked as soon as they met at the Brass Bar and were soon gossiping about other people on the island in the few days she had lived there.

"Gill, are you alright? You're looking angry today. Something bothering you?" Elli tapped the seething boy's shoulder. He nodded.

"That idiot farmer, Angela. Who does she think she is? She always comes in with that just-as-idiotic chef and poke fun at me." Elli laughed.

"For someone you 'hate', you sure do talk about her a lot. It's always 'Angela this', and 'Angela that'. You're just angry because she knows exactly how to push your buttons. She just wants to be your friend is all." Gill scowled at her and left the room with a "hmph". Elli leaned back in her chair as the day began to end. She was about to drift into a light nap, when Angela, without Chase for once, stepped inside. When her partner in crime wasn't with her, she was quite kind, and never talked back to anybody except Gill. She and Elli had become fast friends in the short time she had lived there, and a pleasant chat between the two near the end of the day calmed them both down. "So what brings you here today, Angie?"

"I came to see the Grinch, but I'm guessing he's sulking, right? That or he's hiding from me. What do I do that pisses him off so much? I just tease him. He acts like he's a king or something." She sighed and drummed her fingers on the counter. Elli bit her lip and looked from side to side.

"Could I talk to you in private about that? I'll come to your house after work is done and I'll tell you _all_ about it." She whispered. Angela looked at the ground and nodded, disappointed. She murmured a quick "goodbye" and left. A slight smile brightened Elli's face as she watched her go. Elli knew very well that she and Gill would end up together somehow, although they would be quite the mismatched couple.

The "Grinch" sat in a chair in his very orderly room, tapping a pen on the arm of it. Despite how quiet the girls tried to be, he heard everything, but he couldn't make out the last part He figured they were going to have another slumber party like Maya and Luna did almost every week. That idiot wanted to be his friend? Gill didn't need any of those; they would just get in the way of his work. Besides, Angela already got in his way just by being there. He shook his head quickly as he realized as he was thinking about that nitwit again.

A soft knock at Angela's door caused her to snap out of her state of wonder. As promised, Elli showed up with a couple bags of cocoa mix. Sure, it was summer, but some hot cocoa was never a _bad_ thing.

"Where to start…Alright, I've got it! See, Gill doesn't really have friends. I mean sure, we talk every day, and I'm pretty sure I've got him figured out. Kay, so, Gill was really close to his mom, and when she died, he was just crushed. He had plenty of friends at around that age. He was, I'd say, seven years old, poor thing. So after she died, he just stopped talking to everybody. I was kind of his second mommy for a while, but then he became a teenager. He got arrogant and moody, like most boys at that age. He's just coming out of those years, but he's still arrogant as ever. Anyway, I think he's just lonely."

"I've got it!" Angela exclaimed suddenly, startling Elli. "From tomorrow on, I'm gonna become his friend, whether he likes it or not! You'll help me, right?' Angela asked, looking hopefully at the weather girl. She nodded, and they started to discuss their plans to make Gill come out of his shell.


	2. Mark my Words

**A/N: I just love having Elli written into stories! She's such a sweetheart in the game itself, too. I've gotta add another friend or two, though. **

Elli and Angela sat at the table, telling stories and secrets, and were both probably on their third cup of cocoa. They yawned in unison, and laughed tiredly.

"Well, I should get going, it's really late and I don't want to be late for work tomorrow." Her eyes were a bit unsure as she looked out the window to see Angela's pitch black farm, tree leaves swaying violently, a few tomatoes rolling along the ground. She didn't forecast a storm, but weather could be pretty unpredictable. The crops started to quiver, and it had started to sprinkle, rain, and then pour.

"Are you sure about that? The weather looks pret-ty harsh out there. My crops won't last long in this… I _think_ I have enough money to buy some more if my farm capsizes." Elli shook her head in protest. "Nope, you're not going anywhere, not in this weather. You'll look like a wet dog by the time you get home." Angela got up to look in her closet. "I'm sure I have a sleeping bag in here that I used to sleep in on the way here!"

It was at this point that she knew that Angela would be the one to "fix" Gill. Or at least fix his attitude. Gill needed a friend desperately, and she could tell. He denied it, saying that it would get in the way of his work. Though she hid it with teasing, Elli could tell she was truly a nice person. Angela did have her flaws; everybody did, but her talent was irritating Gill. And she loved it. Elli's thoughts were interrupted by a rolled up sleeping bag next to her.

"Hey Elli, do you know anybody else that knows Gill pretty well? There's his father, but that would be a bit too nosy, even for me. I mean, is there anybody besides you that would have a bit of info on him?" Angela was resting her head on her elbows while lying on her belly in her bed.

"There's… Mira. I think she might know a bit about him, since they have something in common. They both lost someone important to them, so she was kind of his go-to for support. I wouldn't know about loss. Why are you so interested by the person you call a Grinch?"

"He fascinates me. He's like a mystery, and I've got to solve it. I always had a lot of friends back where I lived, and it makes me feel bad that he doesn't have any. I thought teasing him would make him laugh or something, but he just leaves and I don't get to have any more fun. All I want to do is become his friend." Angela rolled onto her back and traced imaginary patterns on the ceiling. "Do you have your eye on someone, Elli? You're still young! You're maybe three or four years than the boys here, you could easily land a good one." Elli blushed.

"You mean a crush, right? I've had a thing for the doctor down the road for a couple of months. He's always so calm, and caring, and handsome, and…I'm gonna go to sleep now, I have daydreaming to do!" She turned over in the sleeping bag dozed off within minutes. Staying up that late was something she hadn't done in years, as her job required long and busy hours. Being able to talk, girl-to-girl was also something she hadn't done in a long time. It made her happier than she looked.

Angela was awake and out the door by six in the morning, while her new friend was still dead asleep. She needed the rest anyway. The sky had cleared up a bit, giving her time to salvage what was still edible and/or shippable. The tomatoes were a bit squishy, which were most likely going to be used as spaghetti sauce later. The corn, thankfully, was protected. "_Thank goodness for those husks._" Her crops were disorderly from the start; she had never been good at organizing or math. But it was better than having to spend her hard earned money on the expensive food in town. She was offered complimentary meals because she would bring in fresh ingredients from time to time, but she would just shake her head, saying that the ingredients were just a gift. How she grew things so fast was a wonder to her. Back in the city, these things would take weeks or months to grow, but here, the crops seemed to explode into life within a day. It was as if the ground here came with built in plant food.

"Oh, that's right! I've got to go see Mira today!" Angela thought aloud as she finished cleaning up the casualties of the storm. They didn't need to be watered, with good reason. She scrawled a quick note to Elli, left it on the table, and left.

Gill sat alone, sorting papers, wondering what was taking Elli so long, and when his pesterers would show up. He mentally prepared himself for their taunts each day. It was strange. He had never really had to use his emotions for anything in a while, but then this girl showed up and started messing up his daily schedule. Worry couldn't possibly be the feeling he had right now. He was just bored. _Bored._ Normally, he'd use the time to get more work in, but he instead tapped his pen on the desk, his head propped up by his hand. He didn't look up as the door opened.

"Angela, I've told you to stop bugging me wh-" He stopped speaking when he realized it was her equally as irritating friend, Chase.

"Do I look like Angela, Grinch? Anyway, have you seen her around? I was kinda worried when that storm swept through here. Her house is pretty flimsy, you know." Gill shook his head without objecting to his nickname. It was stuck, and it wasn't going to change. "Elli isn't around either", Chase continued, glancing at the empty desk. "I know her house hasn't collapsed or anything since I pass it on the way to work. Anyway, back to the point. Have you seen her?"

"No, I haven't. As if I'd worry about for that farmer." Chase smirked at Gill's remark.

"I can read you like a book, Gill. You're worried, and I can tell. You wouldn't be all messy if you weren't." He said, pointing at the disorganized pile of papers. "You're gonna have it bad for her soon, I swear. But you'll have competition." Chase shrugged and left, leaving Gill to think about what he was feeling at that moment.


	3. Just a Hunch

Angela stood in front of the rather rickety bridge that was dividing her from the Garmon Mine District. She had been told it was one-hundred percent safe, but she wasn't buying it. But she liked taking risks sometimes, so she took in a huge breath and set her first foot on the bridge. It was swaying with the wind, but there was no turning back now. She slowly put one foot in front of another, being sure not to look down. As soon as she felt solid ground, she finally remembered to breathe, and got the hell away from that bridge. She stared at her map and walked by each building, and, at last, found the refinery.

"Oh! You must be the newbie! It's…Angela, right?" A very fashionable man asked from a cozy looking couch. He stood up and did an "inspection" of Angela, as if she was a piece of jewelry herself. Angela's eyes widened as he lifted her face with a finger to look at it. "Hm. Those are pretty big pores, Angie. You should wash your face more often!" He seemed to have no problem invading her personal space. Angela then remembered that stylists tend to get in your face and point out flaws.

"Sorry, but who are you?" She tilted her head, looking at him confusedly. The man literally _jumped_ and covered his mouth.

"Oh, what a faux pas to not introduce myself! I'm Julius, and no, I'm not gay. I just have a keen eye for fashion, you see. And you look like quite the project for me, hun." He clapped his hands together. "I have the _perfect_ place for you to go to get some fashionable clothes. You know where the Sonata Tailor's is, right? Well there's this girl there, Candace…" Angela wondered why he had suddenly stopped after saying her name. Julius blushed a little upon saying it. Aha. "She'll pick out some great stuff for you that you can farm in." This guy sure was talkative, but easy to listen to. He seemed to be a friendly person, and the unfashionable girl was sure they would become friends somehow. Key word: somehow.

"Nice to meet you, Julius. And thanks, I'll go visit _Candace_." Angela said with a wry smile. "But I'm here to see Mira; I have to ask her some questions." This piqued Julius' interest. "_Crap, I should've known he would be curious._"

"Oh? What kind of things did you want to ask her? It's about someone, right? I have this great intuition for stuff like that." Angela looked at her feet; she had been figured out. "I knew it! So who is it that you're so curious about? And don't tell me it's none of my business. Everybody's business is my business." Julius tapped Angela's nose. "Come on, spill." She swallowed nervously.

"Er... Well it's about…" Julius' eyes were boring into hers expectantly, pleading her to continue. "Gill, it's about Gill. I want to know what kind of things he likes. He seems lonely, so I'm gonna try to become his friend." The fashion man rolled up his eyes in thought. It was surprising that Julius didn't ask any further questions, but she wasn't going to jinx it.

"Gill, huh? He is a pretty interesting fella if you think about it. He likes…Tomato stuff, a lot. Seriously, you wouldn't believe it. Hey, what's that face for, Angie?"

"Tomatoes are kind of my only income right now…And I'm broke from buying bunch of seeds. I don't want to give him a soggy tomato that got knocked off from that storm last night. I mean, I could cook it, but I have the cooking skills of a peanut. I've seriously _burnt_ cereal before."

"How could you even- never mind. Okay, I have the perfect idea. Okay, so, you take a tomato." She nodded; eyes wide. "Then you put it in a blender. You're following me right? Then you turn the blender on, and it makes juice. You pour the juice into a cup, and voila! You have his favorite drink in the world." He was treating her like she was completely inept at cooking. Okay, so she was. What's wrong with that? Angela barreled out of the refinery with a yelled "thanks" and a white toothed smile.

The dreaded bridge stood before her. What did she expect? Bridges didn't become magically safer. There just had to be another way to get back home without plummeting into the violently crashing ocean below her. A young voice came from behind her, and she turned around to see a lanky blonde boy. Poor kid was probably just hitting puberty. He looked about eleven or twelve, but was almost Angela's height.

"Pretty scary, huh? There's another way down that's pretty fun, if you ask me." He grabbed her by the elbow and led her to a mine cart. "This thing will get you down to the church grounds in twenty seconds flat. And it's one-hundred percent safe. I've ridden on it like a million times and I'm just fine." Angela found herself climbing into the shockingly safe-feeling cart. Her mind was shouting at her to stop but it wasn't working. "Alright, have a fun trip!" The kid gave the cart a good kick and she screamed like a little girl on a roller coaster all the way down. Her body felt like jelly by the time she got to the bottom.

"F-Finn? Why did I do that?" She asked the small sprite on her shoulder. He was bug-eyed, and unable to answer from shock. "My legs are all wobbly. You're lucky you don't have to walk." Angela stumbled her way home, earning a few strange looks from the townies. She stared at one of the soggy tomatoes in her hand. So…she had to wash it, take the stem out, and blend it. Sounded easy enough. She followed Julius' _wonderful instructions_ and had a cup of bright red juice in her hands. "Aha! I am Angela, master chef!"

After carefully sealing the cup with tin foil, she slowly walked to the town hall, being very cautious not to spill it.

"Hey, nitwit, here to make fun of me again?" Gill asked without looking up from his work. Angela shook her head and slid the glass in front of him shyly. Shyness wasn't a common occurrence in her, but it seemed to pop up when she gave it to him. "This..how did you know?" He asked with a look of bewilderment on his face. She glanced at the red-stained glass next to him.

"Just a hunch. Anyway, enjoy! I'll try to bring some tomorrow too, Grinch." Elli, who had arrived just minutes before Angela, shot her a look she couldn't identify.

"Uh…Thanks, I guess." He mumbled. Angela smiled cheerfully and left, skipping.

"I think she likes you, Gilly."


	4. Zap

**A/N: Every time I start to read a goof fanfic, I start noticing the glaring typos and I just want to go through the story and edit all of them out. You're, not your! It's, not its, there, they're, their. Ughhh, it makes me want to scream sometimes! D:**

Julius and Angela had become close friends as the weeks went on, talking on the phone, giving advice, and he would give her painful facial makeovers. Angela also got an earful about his dear Candace that he hadn't confessed to yet. He should've done so years ago, and she couldn't see why he hadn't.

"Just come out with it already, Julius! I'm like, one-hundred-ten percent sure she likes you too." Angela had picked up his way of speaking and mannerisms, to her disappointment. He rolled his eyes and halted filing his fingernails.

"Angie, it's not the right _time_! The moment has to be _perfecto_. And what about you? I think you have a major crush on Gilly."

"I do not! We're hardly friends in the first place because he's so stubborn and bratty." Julius clucked his tongue and shook his head.

"Not that way I see it, dear. You walk into the Town Hall and you both stutter like ca-razy. It's not like you! And I know he has a thing for you because of the color he turns when you smile at him. Buuuuut…. That cook at the bar likes you too. He's pissy with other people but he turns into a total softie if you're around him." He rattled on about it while filing his nails. His multitasking skills were incredible. Angela's breath escaped her close lips like a popped car tire as she flopped back onto her bed.

"It's like eleven at night Julius…I'm tired big time. You need your beauty sleep, and I need mine. Could you go home please?" Angela yawned in the middle of her sentence, and was hoping it was still understandable. Julius knew she was irritable when she was tired, so he shrugged, blew her a kiss, and left.

There was no way she could like that snotty, stuck-up, stubborn boy. He did nothing but insult her and tell her to leave. She abandoned the "he's just lonely" theory long ago. Gill was a jerk, and that's all there was to it. A fairly handsome jerk, but that was his only merit. The rest of him was abso-lutely rotten. Still, she was determined to turn that frown upside down, difficult as it was. He smiled a little bit more often, but it was once in a blue moon. When he smiled, he looked… Never mind. Angela punched her pillow several times.

The following morning, Angela couldn't shake his face out of her mind no matter what she did. She tried working twice as hard to distract herself, practice cooking, but nothing worked in the slightest. Angela kicked the ground in frustration, trying to figure out how to clear her mind. She sighed, grabbed a glass of tomato juice from her fridge, and walked to the Town Hall against her own will. The pitter-patter of rain made her groan in annoyance. Julius' hair styling expertise had gone to waste. By the time she was in town, she was drenched from head to toe.

"Angie, what happened? You're drenched!" Elli jumped from her chair to grab Angela and lead her to a spare chair. Angela pointed out the window. "Oh! I'll go get you a blanket right away!" She nodded, teeth chattering and body trembling. Gill looked up at her, feeling a bit sympathetic.

"Why did you come here if it was raining, idiot?" She shot a dirty look at him and slammed the juice onto his desk. "You walked through the rain to give this to me?" He asked, surprised. Angela nodded with a pouty expression. He tilted his head slightly. "Why?" She started to answer, but was interrupted by Elli with a large towel in her arms.

"I couldn't find a blanket so I figured a towel would do. Is that okay?" Elli wrapped the red towel around the dripping Angela. "Poor dear, you're going to catch a cold! Gill is going to be worried sick about you, Angie~". Gill froze in his seat, eyes unblinking. "Isn't that right, Gilly?"

"I…well…uh..." He had no idea why he was stuttering, or why his face felt like it was getting progressively warmer. Elli was suppressing a giggle, because she already knew that he would be worried. She was well aware that he had taken a liking to Angela; she just liked embarrassing him. It's what a big sister would do, if Gill had one. Angela's hair started to dry from her vigorous towel drying method. It made her arms burn from fatigue, but the comfort of hair that wasn't soaked was well worth it. Elli pulled an umbrella out from under her desk.

"I'll walk you home, Angie, you need rest." She said as she handed her the umbrella. Angela nodded slightly and started toward the door. Elli made a heart shape with her hands and flashed it at Gill, who turned his head, still crimson. She rolled her eyes with a smile, and left with Angela.

Gill placed a hand over his heart, which was, for some reason, about to jump out of his chest. No way in hell could he like her. "_She's an absolute idiot! But I can't deny that I'm happy when she comes to see me with that stupid smile that lights up the room, and her hair is an absolute mess._" Words would come out the wrong way around her. His thanks sounded rude, when he actually thanked her. His sentences dripped with sarcasm. But when their hands touched by coincidence, he felt a sort of zap go through his body. He was expecting her every time the door opened, and felt a bit of disappointment when it wasn't. Gill was going insane trying to figure out what was happening to him. Asking Elli was the best idea he could think of at the moment, so he sat at his desk anxiously awaiting her return.


	5. Stuffy Nose

**A/N: Friendship chapter! Or, at least, mostly. I loooove writing about friendship, it makes me warm and fuzzy inside. :3**

"Elli?" Gill asked nervously, a first for him. Elli looked at him questionably. "I have… strange feelings when Angela is around, and I was hoping you would know… I hate to say this, but I need help." She clapped her hands together, grinning. An ear piercing creek came from the wooden chair being dragged along the floor so she could sit closer to him.

"Ooh, I've been waiting for moment this forever! You finally need girl advice, I'm so happy!" She clasped his hand excitedly. "Tell. Me. Everything. Do you get, like, a fluttery feeling in your heart when you see her? I know you turn red and shake a little bit though, but that isn't enough."

"Well…I get angry really easily if she's around and I end up making her. I don't mean to though! Then she leaves, and I feel really disappointed. She'd be much better off with Chase…"

"Is that jealousy I smell, Gill? I think it is! Never thought I'd see the day! I _totally_ relate to that! When I see Jin with Anissa, I get soooo jealous of her. Anyway, I've got to tell Angela about this, she'll be so excited!"

"What? No! You can't tell her that I…" Gill covered his mouth to keep himself from finishing the sentence.

"You whaa~aat?" She asked, squeezing his cheeks. He pulled her hands from his face with some difficulty. "You didn't finish your sentence, Gilly! Come on, tell me, I won't tell a soul…" Elli averted her eyes and pursed her lips. He bit the inside of his cheek and lowered his head. "Okay, fine, I'll say it for you. You like her, right?"

"S-so what if I do? It's not as if she likes me. She's always with Chase or Julius, and they're nicer to her than I could ever be." Elli sighed and shook her head.

"You've got it ALL wrong, Gill. Julius is one of her best friends, and Chase's affection is one sided. She's been trying to get Julius and Candace together for a season now. Same with Chase and Maya! And I don't see her giving them their favorite food every day. I'm almost totally sure she has a thing for you too." She said, beaming. Gill blinked slowly, cheeks stained red. "I should ask her!" Elli exclaimed, reaching for the phone.

"Don't! I mean, uh… You shouldn't call her. You said she needed rest, right? M-maybe she's sleeping. We shouldn't disturb her in case she gets sick." His face was getting redder by the moment from embarrassment. "I'm not worried or anything, she's just clumsy all the time. She'll probably manage to hurt herself in whatever way possible." Gill cleared his throat. "I'll bring the girl some medicine tomorrow if she needs it, and that's all!" He exclaimed after he noticed Elli's expression.

Angela felt her nose start to stuff up and groaned, dreading tomorrow. By then, she would be completely ill and look awful. She made herself some toast to at least give her enough energy to finish her farm chores. They took her twice as long because she had to stop and wipe her nose, but work was work. Her feet were dragging as she walked into her house. Without bothering to change into pajamas, she collapsed onto the bed and slept like a log. A slight knocking at her door woke her up at six in the morning, awakening all of the rage within her.

"What is it?" Angela asked, as she flung the door open. The bags on her eyes were heavy, her eyes were red, and her nose was running. A truly shocking sight to see on the face of a girl who was usually the picture of healthiness. Gill jumped back in shock.

"Y-your face! What happened to it?" Gill's eyes were wide open. She glared at him, giving him a look that said "what do you think happened?" He turned his head away as if the sickness would magically jump to him through the air. "Anyway, Elli told me to bring you this in case you got sick, and…. Well, I guess she guessed right." The bottle of cold medicine was shoved into Angela's hands abruptly before she could object. "Just… try not to get sick again, alright? It doesn't suit you. I'll see you around, then." Gill turned around swiftly and rushed back to town.

"Strange…" Angela wondered why her face was warmer than before. Her fever couldn't have gotten worse that fast. She considered calling Julius, but remembered that he was a total neat-freak and wouldn't come within one-hundred feet of a sick person. Elli it was, then.


	6. Hell to Pay

**A/N: Ahh, I'm so sorry! I had a bunch of drama going on. I had to break up with my boyfriend because I found out he was a total player. My old crush started talking to me right after. Theeeen I had to go get all of my stuff for my final year of high school (books, ID, locker, schedule, etc.) But I'm back now! **

"-sniff- Elliii, could you come to my house? I gotta ask you some things. I need advice." Angela coughed loudly, with a bit of a wheeze. Elli suppressed a grin, because Gill was within five feet of her and she didn't want to take any chances. "I don't want to bother you at work though…" She sounded absolutely miserable. Her breathing was constantly interrupted by sniffles, sneezes, and coughs. Gill sighed.

"Go if you want to, Elli, there's not much work today anyway."

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! …Hey." Her tone became a bit more serious. Gill looked up curiously. "You're becoming more easygoing." This made him raise his eyebrows at her. "Just think about it, kay?" With those cryptic words, Elli ran outside, eager to see what Angela wanted from her. Angela was sitting up in her bed, a pile of used tissues at her side. A hard knock on her door made her sneeze in surprise.

"Come in…" she said faintly as she attempted to make herself look at least somewhat presentable. Elli, not unlike Gill, was startled by her appearance.

"Geez Angela, how did rain do that to you? Anyways, what was it you needed help with?" Angela bit her nails nervously. "It's about somebody, isn't it? It totally is!" She scooted closer, and received a concerned look from Angela. "I won't get sick, promise." Angela took a deep breath.

"I think…I…Gill..." She couldn't stop stuttering. "_Spit it out already!_" she thought to herself. Elli was leaning closing to her as if she would be able to hear her better. "I like him. There. It's out; get as excited as you want." Angela let her head plop against a pillow and exhaled, relieved.

"Oh my goodness! You have to tell him like, right now! I'm serious. Call him. Now. Angela opened her mouth to say "but". "No buts!" She picked up the phone, dialed the Town Hall number, and stuck it in Angela's hand.

Angela was hoping with every inch of her body that it would go to the answering machine, or Hamilton would pick it up. Talking to Gill then would be downright embarrassing. She sounded and looked like a toad, and was in no place to talk to the future mayor. The phone rang three times, giving her a little hope that it wouldn't be picked up.

"Hello?" Of _course_ it was Gill if Elli wasn't there. The line was silent for a very uncomfortable ten seconds. "If you don't answer, I'm going to…"

"H-hi Gill. I was wondering if I could maybe ask you something?" Elli had her ear pressed to the other side of Angela's phone. A muffled "okay" was heard on the other side. "Well…it's…Do you…Do you like me as, uh…. More than a friend, G-gill?" Angela held her breath, awaiting an answer. The silence was agonizingly long. Her question shocked him, his blue eyes large as globes. Unfortunately, his instinct of constantly saying no kicked in suddenly.

"Why would I like an annoying, double-digit IQ, stupid _farmer_ like you?" He felt himself putting emphasis on all of the wrong words. Or he was using the wrong words entirely.

"Oh, okay…I was expecting that answer anyway. Talk to you later, I guess." She set the phone back down. "Well, I tried, Elli." Elli's face, instead of sad, was infuriated. "Why are you so angry?" She slammed her fist on the bed.

"That Gill… I'm going to teach him a lesson! Stay here, I'll be right back, Angie." Elli gathered her dress and scurried away to confront that _brat_. Yes, it was wrong to confront a coworker, but today was different. Her best friend had been rejected by the one who claimed to like her and there would be hell to pay.

**A/N: Short chapter because I'm tired, sorry! Plus I've got to prepare myself for my birthday party tomorrow (August 31****st****)! :D It's not really a party, though. Just some home cooked food and presents. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter even though it was short. **


	7. Tenth Tissue

"Gill?" Elli asked warningly. The young man looked up to see Elli, her face fuming. His entire body froze, for he knew that he'd been found out. Of course he was; Elli was right by the phone when Angela asked, listening intently. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? I thought you liked her! You never go back on your word, Gilly. What happened?" Gill's breath was quickening.

"Well…I was under pressure, and I knew you were there, and I was nervous, and…and…" He hung his head in embarrassment and guilt. Elli's expression softened and she patted his head. "What do I do? She probably hates me now." Gill rested his chin in his hands, saddened. She was ready to give him a bit of a tongue lashing, but his face was too pitiful to scold. Angela could never hate him. Elli could at least tell him that.

"Gill, I can assure you that she doesn't hate you. But she is pretty angry. You should've seen how much she was shaking when she talked to you on the phone." Gill sighed heavily and let his head clunk on the table. "You need help, right?" He nodded slowly. "Well, wait until she gets better, and get her some flowers or something. Or you could just say sorry and give her a big hug; I'm sure she would like it." Gill gave her a nervous and pleading look, hoping there was an easier way.

Angela was on her tenth tissue and second bowl of ice cream when Elli walked in. At the tragic scene, she looked at Angela empathetically. Without words, she pulled the lovesick girl into a hug and stroked her back as she cried into her dress. Elli would have to clean the snot off later. She watched as Angela's body heaved in utter heartbreak.

"He... he hates me, right? I knew it all along; I shouldn't have asked in the first place." Elli let out a whispered laugh and shook her head as she remembered Gill's nearly identical words. "What's so funny?"

"It's just that...Gill said that same thing when I went to give him a piece of my mind. He feels really bad about saying that, Angie. He doesn't hate you at all. He feels exactly the opposite, honey." Angela pulled her head from Elli's shoulder and looked at her with a questioning look in her eyes. "Actually…I think he likes you a lot. Our Gilly talks about you all the time, to the point of driving me insane. You need to talk to him face-to-face."

Before Elli had another chance to speak, Angela was pulling on a sweater and tying up her shoes. Sure, she wasn't properly dressed, but sweat pants and a t shirt were good enough. Her outfit was interesting, to say the least. Face still stained with tears, Angela ran as fast as her sick body allowed her to. A certain stressed looking chef leaned against the wall of the inn, probably on break. He preferred to eat alone, without the shouts and loud laughter inside. His exhausted expression chance as he saw Angela buzz past him.

"Angela! What the hell are you doing, running so fast? Aren't you sick?" She skidded to a stop to talk to Chase. "And you've been crying! Did something…or somebody get to you?" he said quietly as he walked closer to her. She nodded as a few more tears fell from eyes. Chase fidgeted and pulled a clean napkin from his pocket and shoved it into her hand. "If you need it. I won't interfere." Angela dabbed her face, mumbled a word of gratitude, and walked quickly to the Town Hall.

She startled the crestfallen Gill sitting at his desk, head still in his hands. He leaned forward to see her reddened eyes and puffy pink bags below them. It didn't take him long to realize that she had been crying. Angela's sore body slid down the wall into a sitting position. Gill quickly removed himself from his chair to kneel in front of her. He put a hand on her damp cheek and used the other to grab her hand.

"This is because of what I said, isn't it?" Gill asked gently and shifted his eyes guiltily as she nodded. "I'm…really, really, really sorry." He wiped a stray tear with his thumb before pulling her into a warm hug. "I mean it."


	8. Nap

Gill's words made Angela's legs turn into jelly, and made her feel as if she would melt into the floor. Her shoulders relaxed and she raised her hand to her cheek to touch his hand. Having her head resting on his shoulder was so comforting, and warm, and made her drowsy. She yawned and closed her eyes, content. Gill noticed the girl's body had become ragdoll like in nature when he pulled away. Her entire face was relaxed. He couldn't help but look at her lips for a moment, but averted his gaze when he realized it would be in bad taste to kiss a sleeping girl. As he continued to stare at her face, Elli walked in, most likely to see if Angela was alright. A quiet, high pitched squeal escaped from her lips when she saw the two. Her mouth dropped open slightly when she saw that Angela was out like a light.

"What happened? Did she faint?" Elli asked, already at Angela's side. He put a finger to his lips and shook his head. "She fell asleep then?" Gill nodded. "So…what do we do with her now? Don't you have a jacket or something you could put over her like in romance novels? Then again, there is a couch over there." They looked at each other, trying to figure out how to get her over there. Gill was rather scrawny and Elli had no arm strength. As if sent by an angel, Owen walked in with a paper that most likely needed to be signed by the mayor.

"Hey, I just need Hamilton to sign th…. Whoa, whoa, what happened here?" he asked as he noticed Angela, dead asleep against the wall. She stirred slightly at the sound of his booming voice, and he closed his mouth.

"Okay so, you don't have to question us now, but she fell asleep here, and neither of us are strong enough to lift her. Could you…?" Elli asked. Owen laughed heartily, knowing that they were going to need his help in the first place. He lifted Angela up as if she were a feather, and gently placed her on the couch. "Oh, and Hamilton's in the back if you need him." She added, gesturing toward the door behind the desk. Elli covered Angela with her large white apron. It was good enough, for the time being. "You _have_ to tell me how this happened Gill." Gill's cheeks were suddenly stained crimson and he turned his face, too embarrassed to explain it.

"Ask Angela when she wakes up." He replied. "Let her rest for a while." Elli had never heard his voice so gentle. She smiled softly at him, a hint of pride in it. And, to her surprise, Gill smiled back at her. It was a moment that required no words, and it seemed to explain everything that had happened in one exchange of smiles. His gaze shifted back to Angela in silent adoration, possibly love. "I…hugged her because her face was pained, and she fell asleep on me. She came in and slid down the wall, so I ran over to her, and…that happened." Gill pointed at the peacefully sleeping Angela.

"Got a little more than a crush, huh?" He nodded absentmindedly before realizing what he had done. Gill cleared his throat as Elli giggled. "It's alright, just cute. Our little Gill is growing up." He hid his face in embarrassment, knowing she was right. "I know what you want to do right now, Gill. Just a little one on her forehead is fine. I won't look." Gill stared at Angela's face blankly, and placed his lips on her forehead. It sent shivers down his spine to be so close to her. "You can pull away any time now." Elli called. His eyes shot open.

"H-how long was I doing that?" he asked, flushing. Elli held up one finger. "One minute?" She nodded and pointed at the clock.

"Looked like you were enjoying it too. You still have a silly grin on your face." Elli was going to continue until Angela started to shift under the apron. Her eyes opened to two familiar faces above her.


	9. Idiot

It took a while for Angela to register what was going on. The familiar faces, after about fifteen seconds of observation, were Elli and Gill. She noticed, however, that Gill was much closer to her than Elli was.

"Ugh, what happened? I've got a killer headache. And…" she stared at the boy hovering dangerously close to her face. "Can I help you, Gill?" Elli glanced at him, as if to prompt him to do what he had wanted to do earlier. She "accidentally" pushed him onto Angela causing their lips to collide. They were staring at each other in shock, not sure what to do. Pull away? Close their eyes? Both were well aware they were thinking the same thing. Angela shrugged and closed her eyes. She smiled into him into the kiss (of sorts), stealing Gill's breath away. He never would have thought Angela would let him within an inch of her after what he said.

But who was he kidding? She practically shouted it in his face that she liked him, but he was thinking, "_This can't be real, she hates me. I'm the one asleep._" He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to wake himself up. To his dismay, waking up wasn't going to happen; he was awake. The sound of a camera shutter made Angela sit up suddenly, hitting Gill rather roughly on the head in the process. They held a hand to their foreheads and muttered curses to themselves.

"I…w-well…Sorry?" Gill stammered. "It was rash of me to not pull away." Angela shook her head and smiled despite the growing bump on her forehead.

"Did I push you away?" she asked, rubbing her head. Gill was still perplexed. "Do you even know what I'm getting at?" Angela poked his head a few times. "It's gotta be in that iron skull of yours somewhere." Elli, fed up with their beating around the bush, piped up.

"She likes you Gill. Do you get it now?" She rolled her eyes as Angela pulled the apron back over her face and made a whining sound. "Right, Angie?" Her nodding was visible from under the apron. Gill's breath caught in his throat, and had to sit down on one of the office chairs to keep him from falling down.

"Y-you do? But w-why? You always make fun of me!" He was finding it hard to get angry as the annoying red consumed the tips of his ears, slightly hidden by his platinum hair. Angela sat up, face entirely pink.

"It's funny! Haven't you heard that teasing is a form of affection? And I like you because... Elli, can you go into the other room and not listen in on me? Pleeease?" With a humph, she went to go sit with Hamilton, probably to gush about Gill and Angela. "You're…hm. You're a sweet guy, as much as you try to hide it. You tolerate me, even when I do the stupidest things and annoy you. And I really, really, really like your eyes. I wish we could swap eyes sometimes. But sometimes…you can't say _why_ you like a person. I just like you, plain and simple." Gill's mouth was agape in shock.

So the girl he had spent a season or two denying he liked confidently declared her feelings, while he, the mayor's son, was hiding it from her. The normally curt and headstrong boy was suddenly a stammering mess, struggling to find any words to say. Angela sighed in annoyance.

"C'mere, Gill." She said, waving her hand in a beckoning motion. He got up hesitantly and walked to her, legs still wobbling. Angela dragged his face down to her level by the collar of his shirt, and kissed him on the tip of his nose. "Isn't that enough?" He nodded blankly while staring at her. She giggled. "Good. Took you long enough, idiot."

"Who's calling who an idiot? You're the one who ran here when you were sick!"

"Fine, I take back what I said! I'm going back home if you're going to be so stubborn." Angela spat. She jumped to her feet quickly, making her lightheaded. Before she had a change to trip over her own feet, Gill grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. Her rather hard head knocked a bit of wind out of him, pushing a few air-deprived coughs out of him. If someone were to walk in, it would look as if they were beating each other up. They both had bruises on their head, while Gill had another forming between his collarbones **(A/N: I would say sternum, but it would be kinda strange to add that in.) **He held her tight and stroked her hair while keeping Angela pressed to him using his free hand.

It seemed strange to Angela that she probably liked him more than he ever could like her. In the long run, she would probably end up defending him from whatever trouble arose. After a minute or two, she realized that his hug was nearly bone-crushing. She reminded Gill that, as a human, she needed air to survive. He apologized profusely and loosened his grip. Angela pulled her head away to look up at him, only to find him doing the same.

"Sorry I was like that…I'm just not good with feelings. I actually… Hm. I don't know if I can say it in words, so…" He peeled her off of him and grabbed her face. They stared at each other for a few moments, not knowing how to handle the situation correctly. Gill took a deep, deep breath and kissed her, letting out all of the frustration he had felt when they had argued throughout the seasons. She let her arms fall to her sides limply while he voraciously kissed her, though a voice in her head screamed at her to do her part and at least wrap her hands around his neck. Angela took her mind's advice and did so, finally including herself in the moment.

It was difficult to continue, however, as they were both smiling against each other's lips. Gill was the first to pull away, his lungs devouring the air around them. Angela mirrored his actions unintentionally, but it didn't take as much as effort. She was a hard-working farmer, after all. When they tried to rest their heads together, they ran into each other _again_.

"Dammit, what is your skull _made_ of? _Ow!_" Angela groaned, lightly rubbing her forehead. "At least I can cover it up with my hair!" she exclaimed, seeing how she could cut it to keep the bruises concealed. She had to call Julius when she got home. Gill grabbed her face again. "Really Gilly, already? I didn't know you were so enthusiastic about th…" She rolled her eyes as he started to devour her face again. Well, she wasn't complaining.


	10. Devilish Plan

**A/N: School started on the 8****th**** of September, so updates will be a bit slower. I'm only taking one honors class, so they shouldn't be **_**really**_** slow. Senior year, here I come!**

"Ohmygosh!" a female voice called, followed by the clatter of her footsteps. A camera snapped again. "Finally!" Really, Elli's doting was getting out of hand. The couple turned their heads away from her, cringing from embarrassment. They had both shoved their hands into their pockets. "I can't wait until your dad sees this, Gill, he'll be just overjoyed." Gill and Angela protested at the same time, cheeks red. "Don't be embarrassed!"

"Well, I'll, uh, be going back to my house to rest some more! I'll s-see you guys l-later!" Angela scuttled out of the door with her face to the ground, leaving Gill alone. With Elli. She stared at him out of the corner of her eye, throwing off his concentration, though he was still in dreamland. He wondered if what happened was real, or if it was all in his mind. The situation kept replaying over and over in his mind, until he realized the moment was in fact real.

"Your lips are blood red, Gill. Were you trying to eat her face? Poor Angie was exhausted by the time you finished mauling her lips." Elli giggled as she watched his facial expression go from glazed over to a blank, rigid stare, making the wall the victim of his eyes. He touched his lips with his finger, recoiling slightly from the soreness, but brought them right back and suppressed a smile. "You must like her a lot. Honestly though, I think she likes you more. So, when are you going to go on a date?" Gill cocked his head. He had forgotten that part of liking a person. "Take her on a picnic or something! Call her!"

Angela sat in bed, wishing she could call Julius to tell him, but her head was still swirling. Was what she told him too cheesy? No, no, it had to be said. But was there a reason _he _liked _her_? It would be odd to call him and ask why, though. He was too stoic to explain that sort of thing. Then again, it would be fun to hear him stutter. As she reached for her phone, it rang. How peculiar.

"Y'ello, Angela speaking." She hoped her voice was understandable through her congested nose.

"Uh, hi, it's Gill," a rattled voice answered. "If you would…I mean, do you want to g-go on a picnic or something this weekend?" His voice went up a pitch higher and cracked at the end of the sentence. He had the office phone in a death grip so it wouldn't fall from his shaking hand. Elli had her hands clasped together, anticipating Angela's answer.

"Oh! Uh, sure! S-Saturday at noon? I'll meet you in front of the inn. Does that sound alright?" Gill nodded, but realized that a nod couldn't be heard over the phone.

"Sounds great." His voice was notably calmer after hearing Angela's response. "I'll…see you then?"

"Yeah, of course. What kind of…girlfriend…would I be if I didn't show up? I mean, I could be fashionably late, but if I don't show up right away, it's because of farm work. My work is never finished, you know? I mean, if you get angry, I understand. I know I kind of irritate you sometimes but I hope you be able to withstand it." She was rambling. "Okay, bye!" Angela slammed the phone onto the receiver with a loud _clack_ and tried to get her breathing under control. She had nothing to wear to go on a date, let alone with Gill. He had the money to buy nice clothes for himself. After a minute or two of pondering, she realized that she had Julius to help her, along with Candace. Getting them together to help her would be great for _their_ relationship, anyway. They were still harboring their feelings to themselves. A devilish little plan popped into her head. Since she finally had Gill, it was time to get Julius his Candace.


	11. Dressing Room Blues

**A/N: Two days into school and I've already got piles of homework. Updates will most likely be on the weekend from now on (After school on Friday to Sunday evening). Screw you civics class. **

As Angela somewhat prettied herself to go to the tailor's up, she realized meeting Gill in front of the inn might be a bad idea. Chase would be on his lunch break at noon, when he'd usually get some fresh air outside. The two had never gotten along even though they both had a little case of misanthropy going on. To be fair, their jobs were almost equally stressful, and had to be deal with copious amounts of people all day. She shrugged and continued to brush her hair, hoping that they wouldn't fight the next day. Angela had called Julius earlier, who was ecstatic that she had finally taken his advice. The date was in two days, giving her plenty of time to prepare, as well as drive herself crazy worrying. She hadn't talked to Gill face-to-face since the day she confessed. Just thinking about that day made her stomach knot. A bit of dust flew onto her shoes from the gust of her door closing. If she could make it to the tailor's without seeing Gill, her day would be made. With a deep breath, she rounded the corner leading to Waffle Town, where she saw Julius and Candace having a conversation. Candace was obviously doing more listening than talking, though.

"So yeah, Angie called yesterday to tell me that her lover-boy finally asked her out." Julius explained. An inaudible response came from Candace. "I know, right? It took long enough. Anyway, so she said she needs help from me and you on what to wear. Dunno why she needs my help, since you're more than qualified to do it for her." Candace focused her sight on her feet, twiddling her thumbs as they walked. Angela continued to follow them, listening intently. She waited a few minutes after they went inside before she did. It was empty, thank goodness. If it wasn't, she'd have turned on her heel and ran back home. Her heart stopped when she heard the bell of the door ring. It was Phoebe. Angela didn't talk to her much, but she seemed nice enough.

"Oh, hi Angela! Never expected I'd see you here!" She breezed past her with a smile to check out some dresses. "So, what are you doing here? Are you going on a date or something?"

"Y-yeah. With…" She pointed at the wall. Past it was the Town Hall. Phoebe didn't seem to understand. Heck, nobody would understand.

"Words, Angela, words." Angela fidgeted at her response, and leaned in close to whisper in the green haired adventurer's ear.

"Gill. Y'know, the one in Town Hall? I'm going with that guy. Are _you_ going on a date?" The fidgeting shifted to Phoebe. She already knew that it had something to do with Calvin. They had been dating for a while, however. Angela had never seen her look so nervous. Usually, Phoebe was very bold and willing to take risks. But there she was, nervously browsing through the racks of clothes.

"I'm going to have dinner at Calvin's house." She whispered. "We've always gone to the bar to eat dinner and have a drink or two, but I think it's different this time. I wonder if he's going to… No, that would be impossible. Hey, Candace, do you know what color I should wear?" Angela smiled, more than confident that Calvin was going to propose to her. No guy invites someone to a private dinner just to eat and then go home. She wondered how he would ask her. With a ring made out of ore that he found himself? Her dreamy expression from imagining the two scavengers getting married faded as she frowned in jealousy. If only that would happen to her someday. A thought of her own wedding popped into her mind, which she quickly shooed away.

Gill wasn't romantic in the least; no way would he ever propose to her. It seemed strange to even _think_ about him displaying any sort of lovey-dovey-ness. In fact, the thought made her cringe a bit, or make her feel a bit sick to her stomach. She picked at a calloused finger, suddenly self-conscious. A finger snapped in front of her face, bringing her out of the bizarre daydreams.

"You needed something for your date, right? Is there any look in particular you're going for?" Shelley asked as she approached Angela. Shelley had been somewhat of a grandmother figure to her since she had moved there. They'd eat lunch together, discussing the weather and swapping dessert recipes.

"Uhh… Something tasteful, but nice. Like, I don't want a mini skirt or short-shorts, but I don't want something tacky that would make me into an unfashionable granny. But you're the well-dressed granny on this island, so no offense to you." She quickly covered up her thoughtless comment about looking like an old lady.

"Candace, could you help this lovely girl find an outfit for a date? She wants something tasteful." Candace nodded and scurried over to Angela.

"Well…There are these bubble-hemmed shorts that go down past your fingertips… And a nice floral blouse over here. And… a white cardigan." Angela nodded, not knowing what she was getting into.

For a little over two hours, she tried on outfit after outfit, which were disapproved by Julius or Candace with a roll of the eyes or an apologetic frown. Angela had thought everything she had tried on looked fine, but according to the fashion critics, they weren't good enough. A momentous pile of shortly worn clothes piled up in the dressing room, which had Angela had started to nearly trip over. Finally, finally, _finally_, an outfit was approved. The clothes in question? The same thing Candace chose for her hours ago.

"Alright, we made great progress today. We'll be over on the morning of the date to do your hair." Julius said with a twinkle in his eye.

"_Hoo boy, here comes part two._" Angela complained in her mind. Her plan had worked, but at a terrible cost.


	12. You're so Cute!

"I think we should curl it at the ends!" Julius insisted, inspecting Angela's hair.

"No, no, straighten it inwards so the hair doesn't stick out! And get rid of the cowlick!" Phoebe had joined them at Angela's house, though she wasn't exactly fashion-savvy. The farmer covered her cowlick possessively, guarding it from the wandering scissors.

"Don't take it away, it's my personality! I'm not 'Angela' without it. I mean, you could gel it down so it doesn't pop up, but don't cut it out…" She gave them the puppy-dog eyes a child would use to plead for a toy. The group of_ fashion experts_, as they had started to call themselves, sighed collectively.

"Fine, fine. But you might wake up one day with it gone, Angie. Just a fair warning." Julius teased, flicking the stray piece of air threateningly. Candace sat on Angela's bed, waiting until the trimming was done so she could dress her. After a bit of air ruffling and brushing, Angela was pushed into her bathroom to change. This was her initiative to stand up, stretch, and await the princess of the day's grand reveal. She smiled approvingly at the outfit that had taken two hours to put together. Phoebe guided Angela back in front of the mirror so it could be properly styled. A cloud of hairspray crowded the room, stealing a few coughs from Angela and the rest. "Candace, would you bring me the makeup bag over here?' She walked in her usual way; small, quiet footsteps. "Thanks, you're a doll," Julius praised her, ruffling her hair. Candace blushed and nodded shyly.

"I…don't look weird, do I?" Angela asked worriedly. They hadn't allowed her to look in the mirror while they applied the makeup (or war paint, as Angela liked to call it). A chorus of shaking heads and _of course not_'s and _you look great_'s surrounded her. They spun her around, a bit too quickly, to face the mirror. She raised a hand to touch her face, which looked completely different. Phoebe shooed her hand away, telling her not to smudge the blush. Angela's upper lip twitched in irritation. "You guys…I can't believe you were able to do all of this…" Her eyes started to water, but she managed to keep the tears under control, knowing that the mascara _wasn't_ waterproof. Before she knew it, she was walking out of her district, into the town, with her "groupies" behind her, offering support. Almost all of her was trembling. She had never felt so nervous, or at least not since she stepped off the boat to Waffle Island. Still, that was nothing compared to a _first date_.

"Knock 'em dead, Angie!" Phoebe called as Angela rounded the corner, heart pounding. She felt a warm smile spread across her face when she saw Gill waiting for her. He wasn't exactly dressed differently; just his normal Fall attire. Creative. Angela cleared her throat quietly, catching his attention. Gill's breath caught in his throat when he saw her. He knew that she would be dressed up at least a little bit nicer than she usually did, but he wasn't expecting an entirely new _her_. Words failed to crawl out of his lips, giving him the appearance of a mute person moving their mouth in an attempt to speak. Yes, it was a bit of an overreaction. Others would have just said "Oh, you look nice," or other pleasantries. But this was Gill, and that was Angela. He wasn't sure how to describe her at that moment; there were a million wonderful things he could call her and it wouldn't be enough.

"Gill, are you in there? Earth to Gill, earth to Gill!" Said Angela, grasping his forearm lightly. He jumped and stuttered out an answer.

"Oh, uh yeah, I'm here. Of c-course, I'm never late. Um…You look reallynicetoday." His last words slurred together. He wasn't exactly used to giving compliments, let alone personal ones. Angela smiled sweetly, making his heart pound louder than a drum. She grabbed his hand led him over to Alan's tree, where a cliché picnic scene- checkered blanket, wicker basket- the works, was laid out. His trembling hand went unnoticed. Perhaps it was because Angela's was trembling as well, neutralizing his. There was a strange feeling in his stomach…butterflies? He had never felt _that_ severe though. Gill had the most overwhelming need to smile, ear to ear, and laugh. To laugh like a little kid. There was no point in trying to resist it though, but he tried to hide it, and laugh quietly. This seemed to catch Angela's attention. She squeezed Gill's hand showing that she knew what he was doing. That's right- she was still holding his hand.

"Is something funny, Gill?" Angela stopped and turned to face him. Her brown eyes were wide, staring at him from under her bangs. He focused his eyes on something; anything, that wasn't her face.

"It's just…I never thought you and me would…I mean…I'm happy. Because…" _Say it, say it Gill, and don't screw it up. You can do this._ He gulped and finished his sentence. "Because I really like you and I thought you hated me." He breathed a sigh of relief. A grin crossed Angela's face and she kissed his cheek.

"You're so cute!" She hugged him tightly. "Anyway, the food is gonna get all soggy if we don't eat it soon." Angela clasped his hand and pulled the blank-faced boy over to the blanket. It was strange how shy he was about all of this. Usually, he had nothing to say to her but snide remarks and sharp-tongued comments. Seeing him fidget and stutter around was, well, adorable to her. He hesitantly took a seat, sitting quite the distance away from Angela. She giggled and scooted closer to him, placing her head on his shoulder. Sensing that he was nervous, Angela interlaced her fingers with his and squeezed. "Are you going to sit in that same position or are you going to eat the ever so amazing sandwiches I made?" Sandwiches were something nobody could get wrong, right? "I actually had Phoebe help me with them though."

They sat, eating, while Angela tried her best to make Gill laugh again. Fed up, she put her fingers on the corners of his lips and pushed them upwards, giving him a marionette-puppet esque smile. He was biting his lip, trying his hardest not to smile. The food had been finished long ago, so Angela's entertainment was messing with him. She poked him in the side a few times, and _finally_ he started to laugh. With a smug face of accomplishment, his girlfriend hugged his arm, happy that they were finally together.


	13. A Small Reward

Angela was absolutely giddy about being with Gill. He was just as happy, but he tried to hide it, which he did badly. Before he had started to go out with Angela, he smiled very rarely. After their date, he would crack out into the smiles that had recently started to pop up more often. When he didn't see her for a while, he would panic, though he knew it was a bit over-protective of him. He couldn't help it; she seemed so frail. She'd come into town hall, sometimes covered in scrapes when she tripped over one of her tools and skidded along the ground. Gill would immediately leave his chair to nag her about being more careful and take her to the clinic, which she didn't like. She wasn't made of money.

"How many times have I told you to watch where you're going when you work? Honestly, you're going to get yourself killed." Gill complained while she pouted as she got her legs bandaged.

"Hey, how about I trip you and see how it feels? I'm a strong farmer with muscles, Gilly." She flexed her biceps and grinned smugly. He rolled his eyes when she jumped off the hospital cot and marched away. Out of routine, he followed her around on such occasions. Sometimes, Gill felt like he was taking care of an over-confident kid. Even though he would pretend to act annoyed to hide his caring side, he worried about her if he wasn't with her. Angela was just _bound_ to break her leg if he wasn't there to watch her. Nevertheless, she would leave the clinic, happy as a clam to get back to work. If there was one person on this island that didn't get sick, it was Gill. Angela would tell him that it was from all the tomato juice he drank and they laughed.

"You know, if you didn't put yourself in danger all the time, you wouldn't get sick or hurt." He remarked as he grabbed Angela's hand to slow her down.

"But where's the adventure in that? I'd rather break a leg or two than file paperwork all day. You're such a workaholic, Gill. Ever thought of taking a vacation or something? You know, relax for more than a day," Angela retorted teasingly, swinging her hand that, at the moment, belonged to her boyfriend. "Or at least sleep in past five in the morning. Five-thirty doesn't count." He hadn't heard the word "vacation" in what seemed like years. It seemed almost foreign to him. And the last time he could remember waking up after five AM (he even woke up that early on Sundays) was four or five years ago. Angela poked at the bags under his eyes and his "inside-all-day pallor". She sighed at the look on his face, which seemed to be one of confusion. "At least take a nap outside or something…with a blanket of course!" She added after seeing his grimace. The words "sleep" and "outside" should never be in a sentence together in his opinion.

"But who would do my paperw…" He started, but was interrupted by Angela.

"Forget about it for a day, okay? Elli said she would do it for the rest of the day and tomorrow. After your much-needed nap, though, I need you to help me with something," she took a breath to spill her plan, "See, I'm trying to get Julius and Candace together. Julius is too stubborn, and Candace is too quiet. Come on, it'll be fun!" Gill sighed. Only Angela was able to coerce him into something ridiculous.

"Fine. But…will you cook something for me if I help?" It was strange, he had never asked people any questions that weren't about signing papers or paying loans. She clapped her hands a few times in excitement. After a brief silence, she made a motion with her hands to make him lean forward. Confused, he obeyed. He was rewarded by a short kiss on the lips, courtesy of Angela. Gill would never tire of her spontaneous hugs, kisses, or hand-grabbing. They still managed to make him blush, even the smallest of hugs.

"Yay! Okay, so here's the plan…"

**A/N: Short chapter because I'm suffering from a case of writer's block, and more-so from being absolutely exhausted by school. Anyway, sorry for the long delay! **


	14. Cardiopulmonary something

**A/N: I'm setting this on Castanet, and I'm writing Elli into it whether you like it or not.**

"It's nothing stupid, I promise! We just need to set them up for a date. _I'll_ go tell Julius that Candace wants to go on a date with him, while _you_ tell Candace that Julius wants to go on a date with _her_. The time… About seven pm tonight."

"Why do you want to ask Julius?" Gill asked, his voice heavy with jealousy.

"Jealous of him?" Angela teased, swinging his hand as they wandered aimlessly around town like they usually did. "I know Julius better. I'll meet you back here at five. Well, time's a-wasting, do your best Gilly! Don't screw it up!" She shouted as she faded quickly into the distance.

There was that bridge again. Angela knew she could've taken the mine cart, but had developed a crippling fear of it since her surprise ride down it weeks earlier. The bridge had given her the same fear. Julius was usually the one to visit _her_. She wondered how he crossed it without breaking his confident stride when he went to visit her or Candace. There was no way he'd go down in the cart. Her legs were firmly planted on the ground in front of the bridge. If she didn't cross it and tell Julius, Candace would be stood up. Still, she couldn't make her legs move. Angela squinted her eyes shut and took the first step. _Doing okay so far…_ She took another step, and two others before she heard a sound that made her heart stop. _Crack_. Her entire body went stiff, and she couldn't move as the board below her snapped. Angela's arms flailed for another plank, which narrowly evaded her hands_._ She screamed all the way down into the crashing river below, where her voice was muffled into gurgles. _Not good_. It was then that Angela realized she should've probably taken those swimming lessons back in the city. A wave (**A/N: Ha!)** of relief washed over her as she managed to pull herself onto a nearby boulder.

"Julius was too busy to ask you himself, so he sent me in his place. Would you meet him at seven at the inn?" Gill asked Candace, doing his best to hide the impatience in his voice. Candace's eyes lit up.

"O-of course I'll go with him! I c-can't believe it…I…Th-thank you for telling me!" She exclaimed, her voice louder than usual, but still quietly enough to fit her shy demeanor. Gill glanced at his watch. Four fifty-six. He nodded and briskly walked back to where he and Angela were standing earlier- by the clinic, and waited. Angela wasn't known for her punctuality, but she was never late by more than ten minutes. Gill wasn't known for his patience either, which was wearing thin after waiting for an hour. Or two.

Surely somebody would try to cross the bridge and look down eventually after seeing it was broken, right? Angela was struggling to cling to the rock as water sloshed around it, making it slippery. She had tried calling for help several times, but to no avail. Knees hugged to her chest, she continued to wait. The tide was too strong, and the water was too deep for her to wade back to the waterfall. She was drenched to the bone, shivering. The occasional crash of water didn't help in the least. Fear wasn't an emotion she was used to, and it was rising as fast as the seawater. Tears were running down her face in terror, despair, and regret. She could've taken the mine cart. She shouldn't have come up with the plan in the first place. But she couldn't go back in time or undo her actions.

Dolled up in a sparkly, long sleeved blue dress, Candace sat at a table in the bar, waiting. Maybe Julius had to stay after work for a little bit. There she sat for hours, before she got up and walked home, the complimentary bread and butter untouched. Her feet dragged as she walked into the tailor's. Luna was on the couch sketching in her pajamas while Shelley crocheted.

"What's wrong Candy? You don't look too happy," Luna said, "Did Julius stand you up?" Candace nodded and rubbed her teary eyes. "That bastard!" She grabbed Candace's hand and stormed outside, who was stumbling behind her in her sandals. "Let's go, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. Whoever hurts my sister is a criminal whether you like them or not." The sound of heavy footsteps snapped the thoughts of what Angela could be doing instead of meeting him out of his head. "Gill? What are you doing here?" Luna's footsteps halted. "Have you seen Julius?"

"No, I haven't. Have you seen Angela? She said she was going to go… go to the mines, and she hasn't come back. We were supposed to meet her after she was done, and it's been two hours now."

"Two hours? Wasn't Julius supposed to meet Candace two hours ago? Come to think of it, Julius lives right by the mines. Do you think they could be together?" Luna's eyes grew fiery. "That Angela, I always knew she was no good," she muttered as she stormed off, Candace in tow. "You're coming too, right?" Gill nodded, trying to sort out whatever he was feeling at the moment. He couldn't decide between anger or panic.

Gill attempted to seem nonchalant, casually walking behind the sisters. But his palms were clammy, and his head was spinning. Nonetheless, he had a job to do. He reached them standing in front of the bridge, looking at the missing planks. Luna was squeezing Candace's hand tightly. Candace knelt down and pulled up a piece of green fabric; a color identical to the shirt Angela was wearing earlier that day. She turned to give the shredded piece to Gill's pallid face. Luna leaned over the edge to see a very-much unconscious Angela on the boulder far below them.

"So she never made it there in the first place…Neither of you know how to swim, do you?" Luna asked, pulling her disheveled pink hair into a bun and rolled up her pajama pants. Candace and Gill nodded guiltily, stepping back from the edge. She sighed. "Gimme a minute." The pink-haired girl ran to the cliff and dove into the water in expert form. The crashing waves threw her a little off course, but she eventually clambered onto the rock where Angela slept, shivering.

"She t-took swimming lessons when we were young. I was afraid of the water, so…I can't help Angela at all," Candace explained with a sob. Gill nodded, not really paying attention. He could only focus on Angela's limp body on the boulder, not stirring when Luna called her name or slapped her a few times on the cheek. She dragged her a little farther up onto the rock, revealing Angela's blood-soaked leg. Luna gasped, and immediately attempted something she had seen in one of the books at the library. CPR. Cardiopulmonary …something. _Thirty compressions…and then…rescue breaths. Oh, that kissing part._ Luna grimaced, but she wouldn't want to be seen as a murderer if she let Angela die. _One, two, three, four_… She pulled back after the first "rescue breath" when Angela vomited water all over her shirt. "Oh, Gill, look! She's moving! Angela's moving!"

"Are you awake Angela? We've got to get you to the clinic ASAP. Candy and Gill are up there and they're worried sick about you! I always knew you were kind of an idiot, but seriously…Get on my back, alright?" Angela obliged, though she didn't like being helped by Luna. She swam against the strong current with some difficulty, and heaved Angela onto the ground near the waterfall, and got out after her. Candace quickly shed her shawl and wrapped it around her. Angela glanced around them, looking for Gill. He wasn't there.

"He went to the clinic to get a wheelchair," Candace told her. As she finished her sentence, Gill rounded the corner, pushing a wheelchair. Angela couldn't hold in her laughter as she looked at him. Someone couldn't look heroic pushing, of all things, a wheelchair. She stood up shakily, unaware to Finn, who had flown off in search of her, fluttering around her shoulders. The rocking and rumbling of the wheelchair lulled her to sleep until Gill spoke to her again.

"Angela, if you scare me like that again, I'm going to evict you," he warned in a joking tone. Angela laughed quietly

"Whatever you say, Gill."


	15. Intravenous

**A/N: It's FINALLY the weekend, which means I get time to write! I thought I'd never finish my civics homework. Phew~**

Angela didn't like the clinic's bed. It was made of rubber, as far as she could tell, and it was about as comfortable as sleeping on a rock. Her leg was elevated, because it was apparently broken in several places, and it had fallen asleep long ago. She had gotten scolded by the people closest to her for being reckless again, but she couldn't help it. As a farmer, she had to take risks. Well, that didn't exactly make sense, but she had to go to the mine from time to time to scrape up some money. At the thought of money, she remembered that the medical bill would be a bitch to pay. Her emergency money box probably had enough to pay for it. Gill, who had spent almost every waking minute with her since she got put in the clinic, kept insisting that he would pay. She considered letting him pay it for a while, but decided that starting to use her boyfriend's money that early was taboo. Angela had no intention of becoming a gold-digger.

"How long until I can get out of this hospital? I miss my own bed and my farm! All I have is a broken leg…" she whined, reading the book she had read three times while in the clinic. Gill wasted no time in getting out a sheet of paper of what went wrong after the fall.

"…and a concussion, fractured rib, dislocated shoulder, and a broken collarbone. Do you really want to farm with all that?" He asked, touching the bandage wrapped around her head. Angela pouted. "It's getting late, you should get some rest."

"It's eight, Gill. That's a bedtime for a seven year old!" She exclaimed, stubborn as a mule, as usual. Gill could tell she was suppressing a yawn, which finally pried its way out of her mouth. "No, no! I'm yawning because…because I'm bored!" Her eyelids were drooping. "I hardly get to see you because I'm always sleeping…" Should she drop the "L bomb"? She did love him…Which was a strange feeling in the first place. "I just want to see you more because…"

"Because?"

"I…I lo….I love you…" Angela finished shyly, pulling the blanket up to her nose. "I know you only 'like' me, but-"

"I love you too, so much," he replied, kissing her on the cheek, "Now get some rest." Angela nodded and closed her eyes, smiling. He held her hand patiently until she had fallen asleep. Gill then swiveled around on the chair to face away from her and smiled the widest he had smiled in who knows how long. It felt like a balloon within him popped- like he could breathe easily again. Still, his heart was swollen. He had never really felt love that wasn't familial. Having someone get close to him for something other than money was a strange feeling. But who would have known loving someone would make him worry so much about them? For the entire day that Angela was asleep in the clinic bed, he felt like he couldn't breathe. No matter how many times Jin told him that she was going to be fine; that she wasn't gravely injured in the least, it didn't help. He couldn't help but feel at fault for not looking for her after the first hour he had been waiting. The image of Angela lying limp on the boulder, bleeding, wouldn't leave his mind, even though she was within an arm's length from him now.

And suddenly, after two sleepless nights, the weight was lifted off his shoulders. Knowing she loved him eased the anxiety away completely. The two days without sleep hit him in the face with full force, and he quickly slipped into a deep, much needed, rest.

"Gill? You awake?" Angela asked quietly as she peered at him from above his face. He blearily blinked and jumped when he realized that he had replaced Angela's spot in the bed. She was holding herself up on crutches. Gill looked at her quizzically. "You must've been _really_ tired. You slept for a whole day, and didn't even budge when we put you in the bed. Why didn't you sleep while I was still hooked up to the machines, Gilly?" Her eyes were full of pity and grief as she pushed the mussed hair out of his tired eyes.

"I wanted to make sure nothing happened to you…" he mumbled, propping himself up on his shoulders. Angela groaned.

"What did you think was gonna happen to me here? I'm in a great clinic, and a concussion is no big deal. What had you so worried?"

"Seeing you with an IV in your arm and an oxygen mask covering your face really scared me. You were so belligerent with a cold…I've just never seen you look so helpless." He fell back onto the pillow. Angela smiled and leaned in close to him.

"You know, you're adorable when you sleep," she whispered, "like a little kid." That awoke his Gill-ness again. He scowled and covered her mouth with his palm, but she continued to spout lines. "And I tried to cut off your cowlick, but you slapped my hand away in your sleep! You're stubborn when you're _not_ awake too." Angela fell back into her wheelchair, snapping Gill out of his drowsy anger. He sat up quickly to grab her hand. "Relax, Gill. I'm fine. Jin told me I can go home tomorrow. He said I should go out and get some fresh air though. Will you take me on a walk?" She glanced at where she was sitting. "While I'm still in this stupid thing, of course. I hate this wheelchair."

With a nod, Gill rolled out of the bed that Angela had complained about for the past week. Even though she was still wheelchair bound, sitting somewhere other than an uncomfortable cot was great, and was made even better when she talked about nothing in particular to her favorite person on the island. Being in love was unlike any other emotion she had ever felt before, and it was wonderful.

**A/N: Wowie, this chapter actually took me a while. I apologize for keeping everyone waiting, though. Don't worry; the story is far from over! C: **


	16. A Snag

**A/N: I am **_**so, so so **_**for not updating! Civics crushed me into the ground all week, boohoo. I'll probably only be updating on the weekends now, though. Anyway, on with the story!**

It was a few weeks after Angela was released from the clinic when she noticed Gill was acting…distant. She wondered if it had to do with her, but quickly discarded that thought. When they went out on dates, he talked very little, and only picked at his food. He seemed especially sad on Tuesday, winter 15th. His feet dragged when he walked, and his head was lowered.

"Gill, what's wrong? You seem down lately…I'm worried," she told him as they sat on the bench by the lighthouse. Without a word, Gill stood up and walked away, Angela close behind him. She put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and he turned to face her.

"It's none of your business, okay? Leave me alone." He spat, and continued to walk. She grabbed his hand, which he quickly shook off. Her gaze focused on the ground, Angela left for home, her feet scraping against the stone path. A tap on the shoulder spun her around to face the bobby-pinned chef.

"Are you alright?" He questioned, concerned. Angela hung and shook her head. "Come into the Inn and get warmed up. You must be freezing." He put a hand on her back and led her to the Ocarina Inn, her mind spinning with confusion. Angela knew she shouldn't be dependent on Gill, or become so weak without him, but she was baffled by his behavior. It just wasn't _him_. Before she knew it, she was inside. "Something happened with the boyfriend, right?" Chase often avoided saying his rival's name to keep his own temper intact. She meekly nodded.

"Well, we were just sitting by the lighthouse like we usually do, and I asked him why he was so down in the dumps lately, and he got up and left. He wouldn't listen to me, and shook me off when I tried to stop him…" She propped her chin up with her palms. "Maybe he finally realized that he's too good for me."

"You're crazy; he's not good enough for you!" He quickly reassured her. Angela smiled lamely at him. She let herself fall onto Chase's shoulder. He sighed, knowing that he'd never be anything beyond the shoulder to cry on to her. Still, he savored the moment that made him feel like she was his, even if it was brief. "Want me to beat him up for you?" With a quiet laugh, she shook her head.

"It's alright. I guess I'll just give him time to cool off, if that's possible. Would you happen to know why he's acting like this, though?" Chase reluctantly told her.

"Well, the most I know is that this is around the time his mother passed away ten years ago or so, so he's probably mourning or something." Angela stood up quickly and hurried out of the door.

"I have to go, Chase!" she yelled. Her feet were carrying her as fast as she possibly could until she reached Town Hall and flung open the door. "Where's…Gill?" She asked Elli between breaths. Elli shrugged.

"I haven't seen him for hours, why?" Elli replied, evoking a silent curse from Angela as she turned on her heel and headed toward the church. He had never mentioned anything surrounding his mother's death to her. Maybe he didn't trust her quite enough? She could understand, honestly; she was quite the blabbermouth. Still, Angela didn't care what Gill thought of her as she drew closer to the church grounds. Just as she expected, Gill was standing by a grave that looked recently cleaned. Hamilton? That didn't matter. She quickly ran down the stairs and embraced Gill from behind tightly. It didn't take him long for him to figure out it was Angela. He slowly turned around, revealing to her his reddened eyes. Angela reached up a hand to smooth his hair.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked softly, "You know I'm always here, don't you?" Gill pulled her into a tight hug and nodded as she stroked his back soothingly. "It's going to be alright; everything is going to be fine. I'm right here."

"I miss her," he mumbled into her shoulder that he rested his forehead on, "Sorry for not telling you."

"Don't worry. Let's go to my house, and I'll cook you something warm, okay? You need some time to rest. How long has it been since you slept?" Angela asked as they walked, hand in hand.

"Two days…" He replied guiltily. Angela shook her head in disappointment. They had entered her house and she reached into her freezer.

"What, did you think I'd actually cook something? I'd probably poison you if I did," she explained with a laugh. "Just lie down on the couch and rest and I'll warm it up later." Gill, who didn't like being looked after, lied down and quickly fell asleep. If he had to be ordered around by anyone, it would have to be her. Angela threw a blanket over him and tucked him in. With her mind at ease, she tucked herself into her bed and knocked out as quickly as Gill had.


	17. Eating Dessert First

**A/N- I'm sick! ): I've got a nasty cold. Make up work in civics is going to be the death of me. So much for weekends being relaxing. Pluuuus I have to start applying to some more colleges and study for the SAT… But the show must go on, right? **

Angela was the first to wake up from their simultaneous nap. She stretched with a tired sigh and glanced over at Gill, who was still sleeping, but his face was twisted in discomfort. _Is he having a bad dream? _Her bed creaked slightly as she climbed out of bed to sit by her uncomfortable boyfriend. His face seemed to calm as she ran her hand over his head and shh'd.

"Are you having a bad dream?" She whispered quietly, holding his hand. "You won't get hurt if I'm with you, don't worry. Haha…I took karate when I was ten," Angela laughed softly. She tucked the blanket under him, to which he reacted with a twitch of his face. "_Shoot, I hope I didn't wake him up…"_ Angela thought as she pulled her hand from his hair. The floorboards squeaked slightly when she started to walk, making her wince.

"…Angela?" A sleepy Gill asked. "How long have you been up? What time is it?"

"What is this, twenty questions? I woke up about ten minutes ago, and it's", she checked her clock, "5:15. I'm just making you some hot chocolate, if you don't mind." Angela put a finger on her chin in thought. "Am I being too overbearing?" Gill shook his head quickly.

"No! I mean… It's kind of new to me to have someone other than my father and Elli care about me. I guess it's because you never left me alone, even when I was annoyed," he said with an exhaled laugh. Angela smiled gently and sat down next to him.

"I annoyed you until you liked me?" Angela nudged him with her shoulder. "Good to know my 'talent' came in handy, right?" With a slight frown, she continued, "I know that I'm too talkative, annoying, and a terrible cook. Sometimes, I think you're too good for me and-" She was interrupted by a small kiss on her lips.

"Don't say things like that about yourself, okay? You don't have to change yourself for me, or anyone for that matter," he lightly scolded her. Angela nodded, and giggled a bit. "What's so funny?"

"Your hair looks like a mop," she replied, and leaned in to whisper, "It's cute." Compliments like that never failed to make Gill blush and try to hide his face. He smoothed his hair frantically to avoid further embarrassment. "Fix yourself up, and we can go eat dinner at the inn," Angela said, straightening his tie. He nodded while he tried to get his cowlick to stay down. Angela rolled her eyes. "Just keep it, it adds character."

She pulled him off the couch by his forearm, letting her hand slide down into his. Angela reached for her wallet, but was stopped by Gill. She looked at him questioningly, head tilted to the side.

"I'm not letting you pay for dinner," he stated curtly.

"But-"

"Don't you need the money for your farm, Angela?" He inquired. With a frustrated huff Angela nodded; defeated. They walked to the inn, talking about nothing in particular, and shared several laughs. Angela savored his laughter, because it was so rare. The inn was packed when they arrived- it was the dinner rush, apparently. As they waited, they continued to have conversations that went off on tangents. The tangents were mostly Angela's of course, as she didn't have a one track mind like Gill did. A table finally opened enough, to which Gill muttered, "About time".

"Oh, don't be so sassy Gilly. At least we got a table right?" Angela said with an exasperated laugh. They picked up their menus in unison, pushing a little laugh out of both of them. "I already know what you usually order, so I'm going to mix mine up a bit. Hmm… Life is short, so I'll have dessert first!" Gill gave her a deadpan stare. "What? You only live once, so I figured 'Why not eat dessert first tonight?'"

"Isn't that unhealthy?"

"Dessert is never healthy in the first place."

"But you could get an upset stomach and get sick again!" He exclaimed worriedly.

"You act like such a hen sometimes, Gill," she argued back, "but I do like that you worry about me so much." Angela smiled, dissolving Gill's frustration; he couldn't get angry at her smile.

"Wh-who said that I worry a lot?" He stammered. She laughed.

"I think you did, a few days ago, so don't you take it back, mister!" She poked his forehead.

Angela's dessert came out first; a chocolate shake. Gill wondered if Chase had anything to do with her food getting out quicker, but he disregarded it when he saw Angela happily eating her shake. He considered that maybe, just maybe, he would try ordering dessert first.


	18. A Lackluster Chase Scene

Gill was acting odd again. A different kind of odd, though. It was as if he had downed three shots of espresso. He was always drumming his fingers on something when they sat, and they walked, he kept running his hand through his hair. Of course, Angela just had to find out what was bothering him.

"Gill, you're acting strange again. Are you PMSing or something?" She asked, hands in her pockets. He ran his hand through his hair like he had been doing so often lately.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing. N-nothing at all," he answered hurriedly. Angela shook her head.

"I know for a fact something is wrong. So c'mon, just tell me! I can keep a secret."

"I-if you're sure… I…" Angela leaned in close to him. "I lost my d-d-diary," he finished. Angela pursed her lips and felt her cheeks turn red, about to burst into laughter. He immediately regretted telling her as he saw her trembling, trying not to crack up. "I mean my journal! I lost my journal! I keep all of the t-town records and stuff in there."

"Stuff? What _kind_ of stuff?" She asked teasingly, "Okay, wait a minute. You lost it, right?" Gill nodded. "Then I'm going to find it!" Before Gill could say a word, Angela had rounded the corner in the blink of an eye. "_I am so going to read it._" The first thing she had to do however was to get as far away from Gill as possible. Knowing he couldn't run worth beans, she took the most difficult route through town. Angela climbed roofs, jumped over chimney flues, and slid down the awning of the Wizard's house, and continued to run. There was _no way_ Gill could catch up to her. She was wearing her farming shoes, which were way easier to run in than the sandals she usually wore on dates. The farthest she could get away was Flute Fields, but she had to make her trail hard to follow. Luckily, she remembered the small beach between her farm and there, which she used without question. The sand did slow her down a bit, but she so far ahead of Gill, it didn't matter. She knew exactly where to hide- by the watermill. Specifically, inside the watermill. "_Wait, this is too obvious. Hiding under the mill would work better…_"

Angela ran out and headed for the very small cave underneath it. It was small enough to hide one person inside. Renee had shown it to her, and it was obviously Toby who had shown Renee. She scooted backwards and waited. Her heart rate quickened when she heard footsteps pass by the bridge over the river. She could tell they were Gill's footsteps by the sound of his shoes. It was so bizarre, as if she could feel his anger by his pace. Angela daren't move in fear of making a sound. She controlled her breathing to be very slowly, and _very quiet_. The footsteps stopped, and her breath caught in her throat. Had she been found out? Those damned footsteps finally faded away, probably to Marimba Farm. She let out a sigh of relief silently. Just because she couldn't hear anything didn't mean someone wasn't there. When she started to crawl out, certain no one was there, something caught her eye. That something was a green book. Army-style, Angela crawled along the rocky sand to snatch it. Her heart soared; Gill's name was printed on the front. Without a moment's hesitation, she moved back into her hideout and flipped through the pages excitedly.

"_Shoot, it's too dark! The only way I can read this in private is if I went back home. But how? He'd see me for sure!_" She pondered, her body racing with adrenaline. "_This is going to be awful, but here goes."_ Shoving his dia-_journal_ in her jacket securely, she waded across the frigid stream. She nearly slipped going up the other side, but managed to level herself. Using bramble as a makeshift ladder, Angela climbed up onto solid ground. She scrambled toward her farmland, and quickly slammed and locked her door one she got inside. Angela turned off all of the lights except for a small lantern, and backed into a corner, finally safe. Gill hadn't lied about the town records part. But he didn't lie about the "stuff" part either. She suddenly felt self-conscious because of his handwriting. It was so _perfect_ compared to her chicken-scratch writing.

As she expected, the first few entries that had her name in them were about how much he despised her. They became less and less harsh, though. She particularly liked the fifth entry about her so far.

_Spring 23__rd_

_ It's strange, really. No matter how much Angela irritates me, I can't stay angry at her. When she smiles, I get the most bizarre feeling in my chest. It's probably just a cold or something. _

Her interest was full on piqued now. She skipped ten pages or so, oblivious to how many entries were about her.

_Summer 19__th_

_ These feelings won't stop. I don't think I'm sick. If I'm not sick, what is it? When she wore a dress yesterday, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I wasn't really paying attention to what she was talking about. I just nodded at random intervals, hoping I didn't look like a complete idiot. _

Angela paused for a moment, wondering if he had liked her so long ago. She skipped a few more pages.

_Summer 30__th_

_ Is this what…love feels like? I can't focus on my work when I think about her, I can't sleep, and I can hardly even eat. I hang on her every word when we talk; that is if she's not wearing something nice. If we ever brush into each other, my breath escapes me. _

_ Fall 15__th_

_ Angela seemed sad today. I wanted more than anything to hug her; to make her smile again. My heart wrenches if she frowns. I'm starting to think I more than 'like' her._

Her eyes were the size of saucers as she read on. It was almost creepy how much he wrote about her. Then again, she knew that if Gill likes something, he focuses on that, and that alone.

_Winter 3__rd_

_ Yesterday was my birthday. I got typical presents from the few people who talked to me; cards with money in them. Angela's was lavender, presumably grown herself. The second half was a hug, which confirmed my feelings. I love her. _

Angela's face grew hot. How did she not notice before? She suddenly had an idea. Scrambling through one of her drawers, she found a pink pen. For maybe ten minutes, she went through his _journal_ and circled things she liked. She wrote little notes, drew hearts, and doodled various patterns on the pages. Satisfied with her handiwork, Angela set off toward Gill's house. The door was open, revealing a very tired and messy Gill. Guilt tugged at her heart as she approached him.

"I…uh, I found your 'journal'," she mumbled, placing it gingerly in his hands. He looked up at her, his eyes eerily dark.

"Where have you been? I looked all over for you! I thought you were hurt again. Do you know how much you scared me? Honestly, you're so careless! I hope you realize that having to take care of you like you're a little kid isn't easy!" Angela stared at her feet.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I'd understand if you never wanted to see me again…I'll be going…" Her feet dragged along the floor as she left. Gill felt frozen to his seat. He had every right to be angry, didn't he? He saw her dash past his window, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. His whole body went cold when he realized he had made her cry. He had never done that before that wasn't over the phone. But that was so long ago! With a sigh, he opened his diary and his mouth fell open slightly. He felt like his stomach was in his throat as he saw heart after heart and note after note. It had happened again; he let his temper get the best of him. He covered his face with his hands, anger and remorse emanating from him. However, Gill wasn't angry at Angela; he was angry at himself. A soft rapping at his door snapped him out of his anger. Was it her?

"It's Elli, can I come in?" He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed when he heard Elli's voice. The door opened without his permission. "Did…something happen?" She asked tentatively. Gill nodded, grimacing. He explained what happened briefly, right up to when she knocked on the door. "Look, I can't help you. _You_ need to patch things up with her. I suggest running to her house, pronto." He nodded and quickly left without a moment's hesitation. Elli smiled at his dedication to Angela. The wonders of young love.

As he slowed to a stop in front of her house, Gill realized that would she would most likely not go right home. He scowled when he realized that he too had begun to cry. He doubled over and slid down against the side of her house. All he could do was ask himself why.

"_Why did I tell her I lost my diary? Why did she want to find it for me? Why did I scold her instead of thanking her?_" His chest heaved unevenly as he cried. Her house's door creaked open and Angela poked her head around. The open door brought out no heat or light. Gill felt as if his stomach had been stabbed. She had been sitting in the dark, cold and alone, and probably because of him. Angela froze when she saw him, clutching his knees and shaking.

"Gill?" She asked hesitantly, hoping he wasn't still angry at her. Gill stood up quickly and embraced her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Her body went stiff, but slowly relaxed into the hug.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean anything I said…I was just…worried sick. Will you forgive me?" Gill felt her smile against his jacket.

"I will if you give me…" Angela tapped her cheek with a finger. He complied, and kissed her on the cheek lightly. The warm smile returned to her face. She shivered. "You should stay here overnight and sleep on the couch, of course. I don't want you to freeze to death on your way home." Angela flipped on the light switch and heater. They sat on the couch together, just talking, like they always did. She yawned and put her head on Gill's shoulder. He rested his head on top of hers, his eyes slowly closing. "Hey Gill?"

"What?"

"I forgive you." The world around them seemed to melt away as they fell asleep on the couch, holding hands.

**A/N: Still not the end! I'm trying to figure out how they'd explain this to Elli and Hamilton, but for now, let's let them have their moment. I had this start out as a happy chapter, but the story had a mind of its own and took it down the trail of depressing chapters. Two chapters in one weekend, phew! **


	19. Crying Hangover

**A/N: Hello~! What a lovely weekend to write c: I decided to make this chapter happy/funny; I hope I can keep it that way. **

Angela woke up with a pounding headache. She stretched out in bed and- hold on one second. She didn't recall falling asleep on her bed. Memories of comedy movies where this situation happened suddenly rushed into her head, so she quickly peeked under the blanket. She was wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday. A gargantuan sigh of relief flew out of her mouth before she looked around nervously.

"I…what…how?" Angela stammered. There was no reply. Her eyes finally locked on Gill, who was still asleep on the couch they had fallen asleep on last night. She propped herself up on her elbows and pulled herself against the headboard. She wracked her mind for why her head could hurt until she finally figured it out. Didn't crying make you have a headache in the morning if you cried at night…? Angela really hoped so. Pulling out her hand mirror, she investigated her face. The red, puffy bags under her eyes confirmed her theory. "Phew…" Still, why was she in bed, while he was still on the couch? She dragged her body out of bed reluctantly to start some coffee in the kitchen, which would hopefully ease the headache. "Psst…Gill…Wake up!" She said tentatively, nudging his shoulder with her hand. "Hey. Come on now, it's noon." He didn't budge. Angela shook his shoulders violently in annoyance until she was fed up. "COCKADOODLEDOO!" She yelled, almost directly in his ear. Gill, finally, slowly opened his eyes as if a clock-alarm had awoken him.

"Huh?" He asked in a sleepy voice, still blinking at the speed of a snail.

"I'd tease you, but I've got important stuff to tell and ask you. One, it's noon," his eyes snapped open, "And two, how did I end up in my bed?" She continued as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"You were squished on the couch, and you needed more leg room, so I put you over there. Don't you remember?" The time of day finally sunk in, which was very apparent by the look on Gill's face. She plopped down onto the couch and sipped her coffee.

"Oh, and how are we going to explain this to… to everybody? Won't people get suspicious if they see you wandering into town with your clothes all wrinkled? Think…think…" Angela rubbed her temples as if in meditation. "Aha!" She exclaimed loudly. "You're going to help me on the farm! That way, you'll get all dusty and muddy, and it'll look waaaay less embarrassing."

"_Less_ embarrassing? Gill inquired, grimacing. She nodded quickly, suppressing a smile.

"You heard me! Let's get to work! Ten-hut!"


	20. Devilish Plan Success!

**A/N: This week passed so quickly! Not that I'm complaining that it's the weekend though. **

It had been twenty minutes since they had started working, and Gill had already started to complain. Angela, however, ran a tight ship when it came to work, pulling weeds out with ease, and quickly cleared the field of them. As she started to plant buckwheat seeds, Gill stood up.

"Don't you think it's about time to take a break? We've been out here for an hour," he complained, brushing off some dirt from his sleeves. Angela gave him a look that said "Are you kidding me?"

"It's been twenty minutes, Gilly dearest. With your work ethic, I'd expect better than less than an hour of 'hard labor' to tire you out. And we're not even to the animals yet." Gill's eyes widened at this. Him? Barn animals? Never in his life had he imagined setting _foot_ in a barn. But there he was, holding a chicken with his bare hands.

"You…You do this every day without gagging?" Gill asked, holding the chicken as far as possible away from his face with his head turned. She looked at him questioningly.

"Of course! Just look at this little guy's face," she exclaimed as she picked up a tiny yellow chick, "This is Mr. Feathers!" Angela held out the baby chicken to Gill. He reached out a hand hesitantly to pat it on the head. "Oh come on, he's not going to hurt you, Gill." The chick blinked, unaware of why he was in his human mother's hand for so long, didn't know who this stranger was. He flapped his wings, frustrated. "Aw, see? You made him sad." She put Mr. Feathers into the palm of his hand. Angela paused for a moment. "Did we ever explain to Julius and Candace what happened?"

"We probably should, you're right, let's go right now," he replied immediately, putting the chick back down. She laughed quietly at his sudden determination. Holding hands, as usual, they walked into town to pay Candace a visit. Angela saw two familiar faces pass her; faces you'd never expect to see together.

"Is that…Bo and Luna?" She whispered as the, as far as she knew, couple strolled by. "How adorable! I _always_ knew they would look good together." Bo glanced at Angela, who smiled at him, feeling a sense of pride, as if he was her baby brother. "Isn't she a little old for him though?" She asked, quieter than before. "Isn't Bo like twelve years old?" Gill shrugged. Bo's age was kind of an enigma, like Luna's. The door to Sonata Tailoring opened with the tinkling of a small bell. "Listen…Candace, I have to explain something." Candace seemed to pick up on it fairly quickly, and looked up curiously.

"The thing that happened… two weeks ago?"

"Yeah. See, I was just trying to get you and Julius together. Gill came here to tell you, and when I went to tell Julius, the bridge snapped and he didn't get to see you in time, and you sat there alone, and I'm really really sorry!" She was out of breath by the time she finished explaining. Angela took another breath, "And Julius really likes you and I know you like him too and I know this was a really bad idea." The tailor looked at her, confused at first, but a tiny grin creased her face.

"Julius…likes me?" She asked timidly. Angela nodded with a smile. Just then, as if heaven sent, Julius caroused inside. "O-oh, hi J-Julius!" Candace said, surprised. Angela and Gill walked back outside, hoping the rest would take of itself. _Get Candace and Julius together- mission accomplished. _


	21. Erratic Drumbeat

**A/N: Oh my goodness, the SAT was **_**the most**_** boring experience of my life. I know I did horribly in the math section. Anywho, I'm so sorry for not updating, but it's been hell for the past week or two. **

Gill, who looked positively miserable, got plenty of strange looks as he walked through town, covered in dirt. Being messy was no big deal to Angela, however, so nobody gave her a second glance. It's not that she was _filthy_; she just always looked a little beaten up from her strenuous job.

"I'll take you back home, okay? I've got work to do back at home, and you're probably exhausted," she said with a yawn, "You can explain stuff to your dad and tell me later, Gill!" Angela walked off with a bounce in her step, which highly contrasted the gathering storm clouds. As she looked up, a drop of rain plopped on her nose. She covered her head with her hands (as if it would help), and scurried back into her own district, at which point it had begun to hail large chunks of ice. "Why can't this just be snow?" Angela complained aloud, her voice silenced by the sound of the ice shattering like glass.

Covered head to toe in bone-chillingly cold water; she stepped into her house and flipped the switch to turn on the light. No matter how many times the switch clicked, nothing happened.

"Figures…" Angela muttered. Without electricity meant no light or heat, which wasn't the best news for a girl who looked like a swamp monster. She sighed and mumbled various complaints as she changed into dry clothes and wrapped her head in a towel. Grabbing a blanket from her bed, Angela chucked a few pieces of spare firewood she kept inside in case of situations like this. With the fire crackling, a thick glass panel in front of it to prevent the flames from spreading, she wrapped herself in a blanket and wondered how to pass the time. There really wasn't anything to do without her farm to tend to or animals to feed. She pulled a chair up to the window and listened to the erratic drumbeat of the hail hitting the ground.

Gill drummed his fingers nervously on the window sill at Town Hall, with perfectly functioning electricity and heat. The power of the town was much stronger than those of the buildings rested on dirt. He knew the power at Angela's house would most likely be out, and the anxiety was driving him insane.

"She'll be _fine_ Gill. Angela isn't a glass doll; she can handle herself." Elli said, looking quite agitated. "Now stop tapping your fingers. I can't focus."

"But…Look at this weather! She's going to get herself killed!"

"Look, if you're that much of a nervous wreck, go see her," she grumbled, covering her ears to avoid the awful drumming. Elli tossed a closed umbrella to him, "Go wild." He nodded and the door closed with a gust of wind and a slam. With the tapping fingers long gone, she continued to write a letter to Jin. Love was work, wasn't it? She hadn't seen Anissa hanging around him lately, so it was time to strike while the iron was hot. After finishing, she sprayed it with a bit of perfume, and sealed it. She just had to wait for the weather to clear up.

Gill, whose shoes and pant legs were sparklingly clean, but by the time he made it to Angela's house, they were, once again, covered in mud. At least the rest of his clothes were clean enough, and was otherwise dry. Her windows were emanating a dull glow. He knocked on the door, followed by the patter of footsteps.

"Hello? Oh my goodness Gill, why are you here? It's just a little rain," she complained, and held out a hand to stop Gill from coming in, "Don't take one step until I get a towel on the ground." He tapped his foot impatiently until she returned with a ratty pink towel and placed it on the ground. "So how'd it go with your dad?" Angela asked as she tossed another log into the fire.

"You don't know the _half_ of it."


	22. Melody

**A/N- I spent Veteran's Day sleeping, and I needed it **_**so**_** bad. So, how did 11/11/11 go for you? Wish for something good? C:**

"He thought we got into an actual…physical fight?" Angela asked incredulously, chin in her hands. Gill nodded as he rolled his eyes. "How would he even get that idea?" He pulled up his sleeves to reveal the scratches he had gotten from his mediocre farming. Angela smirked and pulled up _her_ sleeves, showing the seemingly endless scars. "These are from holding fussy chickens and rose thorns. Those puny scratches of yours are nothing." It was true that he got a bruise on his cheek from stepping on the wrong end of a rake, though.

"I can't exactly hide bruises on _my_ skin."

"So what'd you tell him?"

"I told him that you needed help on your farm because you were sore from pulling weeds."

"That's totally ridiculous. Who gets sore from pulling weeds?" She scoffed, and paused when she saw Gill rubbing his arm. "…Oh. You do." Gill glared at her from under his eyebrows and she recoiled. "Sorry, I know you're not accustomed to hard labor. I'm guessing it worked?" He shrugged.

"I'm guessing so, but he thinks you're violent now, so expect some weird looks from him. Don't be surprised if he's told half the town, though." Angela plopped her head back onto the couch and sighed, exasperated. She couldn't honestly be seen as "abusive", right? If anything, her _animals_ were abusive.

"Do you think we should just act like this whole thing never happened? I'm getting tired of explaining everything to everyone, and I don't like remembering that we had a fight", Angela asked with a sigh. "But it's funny. What your dad thinks makes you look like a wimp compared to me!" She laughed and flexed her biceps. "What about you, noodle arms?" The only strong physical point Gill had was in his wrist from writing so often. Every _other_ guy on the island had a way to have exceptional arms. Exception Jin…or did he? Performing surgery couldn't be that strenuous. While Gill was demeaning himself in his mind, Angela seemed to be in deep thought.

"What are you plotting now?" He asked warily. Angela grinned. He was growing more uncomfortable as her smile continued, and he felt inclined to scoot farther away from her.

"How should I put this…" Angela tilted her head. "Let's get married, okay?" Gill stood up suddenly, blood rushing to his head. She seemed disappointed by his sudden reaction. "You don't want to?"

"Oh, of course I do! It's j-just really sudden and I…" He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. "I really never thought I'd ever get m-married." Gill turned his head in embarrassment. Honestly, he thought blushing was something that only happened in books, but apparently he had been proven wrong. Upon Gill's acceptance of her "proposal", Angela suddenly felt as if her day had become amazing. The simple fire in her fireplace seemed to radiate like the sun itself, warming her to the very core. The rain outside began to sound like an orchestra; each raindrop was as melodic as a violin, and each gust of wind was as graceful as a harp's song. She hoped with all of her heart that this wonderful feeling would never end when they married. Maybe each day would feel as miraculous as that one stormy afternoon.

**A/N- Still not done! The end may be drawing near, though! Sorry for the short chapter- I'm suffering from awful writer's block, and this is what I managed to squeeze out of my head. **


	23. A Rather Strange Proposal

**A/N- Happy (late) Thanksgiving! I ate so much; I'm going to explode any minute. Actually, I think I'm going to go back for seconds. :P **

9AM on a bright spring morning, Angela stood in front of the mine, hammer and hoe in both hands. She wasn't looking forward to climbing so many floors, mostly because of the particular eeriness of how her footsteps echoed with each step. But she had to do this to propose to the favorite person on the island, and the love of her life. Blushing slightly at the term she had used to describe Gill, she took her first step into the mine. The near black as pitch room was dimly lit by the flashlight helmet on Angela's head, which she had adjusted for about the fiftieth time in the five minutes she had been inside. Gill was probably wondering where she was, as she usually visited him every day. She had been smashing away at rocks for about two hours, and was beginning to feel a bit faint. Angela pulled out a sandwich (one of about three; she had to be prepared) and a bottle of water. No way was she passing out again.

"_What floor am I on? Twenty? I really should've kept track…_" She wondered, finding little energy in herself to swing her heavy hammer. "_A little nap wouldn't hurt, right?_" Yes, it was one _hell_ of a bad idea, but her mind was muddled with pure exhaustion. Her knees wobbling, Angela stumbled to a corner relatively free of rocks, wadded up her discarded jacket, and laid down. Angela's eyelids shut almost instantly, and the relief of not being on her feet dissolved the discomfort of the hard, dirty ground. "_Gill is going to be so pissed at me…_"

Rather than angry, Gill was worried out of his mind. She had not informed him of where she was going. Each minute passed agonizingly slow as he constantly ran his hand though his now ruffled blonde hair. If it was any other time of day, Elli would tell him to relax, before she back to her house at the end of the day. However, Angela always showed up at Town Hall at _some point_ in the day, regardless of the weather. It was midnight with no sign of Angela whatsoever, driving Gill insane. He had called her house at least four times, though he had lost count. Her door was shut and locked, and the lights were off. Much to his disgust, he had to ask Chase if he had seen Angela around.

"Isn't she usually with you, Gill? I really have no idea," Chase replied with a shrug. Gill sighed angrily; his patience with the people he had asked was wearing thin, as was his cool composure. His facial expression usually displayed boredom, distaste, or both. Honestly, he was on the verge of tears, and he hated the feeling. He wasn't sure if he could be angry at her when she finally showed up. A terrible thought crossed his mind- _Would_ she show up?

Angela's eyes opened, and she immediately checked her watch, her sight blurred from sleep. It two in the morning, causing her to curse out loud and smack her forehead. Begrudgingly, she pulled herself to her feet, put her jacket back on, and continued to smash rocks, her energy renewed. She felt around for the stairs, feeling blind as a bat. The sight of each staircase gave her strength, and she felt purely euphoric when she saw the exit. Her footsteps became heavy as she stepped out, a grin breaking out on her face when she saw a perfect blue feather waiting for her. She grasped it carefully, and held it as if it were a delicate infant.

Getting back to the bottom was much easier, much to her relief. It had only taken her an hour to get back down- much better than the…Oh, Angela didn't have time to count the hours as she sprinted toward the cart. Her fear of it was overridden by the adrenaline of getting the feather to Gill ASAP. Angela didn't doubt he was still awake, which actually scared her a little. Would he be angry? If he was, how angry would he be? She shuddered at the memory of their previous falling out, and wished with all of her heart that this wouldn't end up the same way. The brisk night air whipped her faced as she ran desperately, frantically to his house.

The sudden loud, rhythmic sounds in the road snapped Gill out of his panic-induced pacing. He instantly rushed toward the door as he heard the ruckus of his front door being knocked on over and over. Gill flung open the door to reveal a shivering, dust covered Angela. He didn't know what to say, which was odd for him. He merely blinked slowly as he watched her fumble in her pocket for something. In his blank state of mind, Gill had no idea at all what she was doing. Angela pulled out the now crinkled blue feather and shoved it into his hand.

"Marry me!" She exclaimed, panting. With a wide smile, he accepted without hesitation. Her hammer and hoe fell to the ground before she collapsed into his arms, exhausted. "Thank you…" she mumbled, "I love you." Her eyelids fell, feeling as heavy as her tired limbs were. Gill was unsure of what to do in this situation. He had to put her _somewhere_. Upon closer inspection, after removing her bulky jacket to make it easier for her to breathe, Angela was covered in greenish-blue bruises. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. It was just like her to be injured from head to toe. It took Gill about two minutes of thought to decide what to do. He rolled her onto the couch and put her head on his lap (to serve as a pillow, of course!). Luckily, his house was heated, so he felt there was no need for a blanket. He didn't really know much about taking care of someone, let alone a very beat up looking girl. Still, he was unable to bring himself to be angry at her. All he really cared about was that Angela- his Angela, was safe.


	24. Nervousy Isn't a Word

"Oi…" Angela groaned as she woke up from her fatigue-induced slumber. Once again, she came to in unfamiliar surroundings. Where was she…? Try as she might, Angela couldn't recall how she ended up where she was. She realized something was amok when her pillow started to move. Wait a minute, pillows couldn't move, could they? She rolled onto her back and ran her hands through her mussed hair. She patted around her head and felt a very familiar fabric- Gill's very unappealing sweater vest. When she looked up, Angela saw Gill's cute sleeping face. It was nice to just _look_ at him sometimes, without sharp words leaving his mouth. She sat up "reversed" their positions- his head was on her lap and he had leg room. Luckily, he was a heavy sleeper. Angela stroked his messy hair fondly with a gentle smile. Was this really the man that she had bickered endlessly with? She found it hard to believe. Her little thought-tangent was broken when she jumped a bit as Gill's face twitched and he started to move. She stiffened and sat up, her back almost as straight as ruler. Apparently, it was just in time, because Gill sat up suddenly and looked around. "Good morning, sunshine!" Angela joked.

"Angela! Are you alright?" He asked quickly, pulling out her bruised arms roughly. Angela flinched; her arms were in severe pain, though she didn't know why until she looked at them. It was as if someone splashed them with purple-blue paint. She had to think deeply to figure out _why_ she was so spotted. Right, she was in the mine and tripped quite a few times. "So are you going to explain why you're covered in bruises?" Angela bit her lower lip nervously.

"Well, I was in the mines, as you can see," she began, gesturing toward her tools, "and it's a pretty rocky place, you know? It's only natural that I'd trip and hurt myself a lot. Are you angry at me again?" She asked as she hung her head in shame. Gill sighed. He _should_ be angry for her being so reckless (again), but at the same time, he couldn't find it in him to scold her. "Could you answer? Your face is making me nervousy."

"That isn't a word, Angela."

"Really?" She asked, crestfallen. Gill laughed exasperatedly and smoothed her tangled and dirty hair. "So are you gonna answer my question or not? Are you angry?" He appeared to stare into space as he considered it- she _did_ scare him out of his mind, but she was alright. When he remembered how their last fight began, he immediately shook his head.

"I should be," he started. Angela swallowed anxiously. "But I can't bring myself to get mad at you. I just…" Gill took a deep breath. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Since I'm the man here, I want to protect you so you don't get hurt again." It hurt him to say such cheesy things, but to a girl, it was considered really sweet, or at least, that's what he'd heard. He waited impatiently for her reply, and was relieved when she smiled brightly, a glimmer in her eyes. Angela snorted and started to laugh, a hint of struggle in her voice.

"That's really adorable but it's just so hilarious to say such corny things!" She covered her face with her hands and released a breath through her lips to regain her composure. "But really, it feels great to see your soft side. Aw, you're even blushing!" Angela remarked with a giggle. Gill fanned his face in a poor attempt to shoo the redness away.

"As long as you're safe, I won't complain. Just try not to be so reckless again, alright?" Angela averted her eyes and wrung her hands after his request of sorts. "Angela?" He warned. "I mean it!" She nodded reluctantly. "So, about this whole proposal ordeal…"


	25. Author's update

**Update from the author! **I earnestly apologize for not updating, but it's been a super busy week. I have an exam in French tomorrow and 63 vocab words in civics. I won't update until this weekend (most likely Saturday, I'm going out on Friday with some friends). Forgive me! While I'm here, I might as well ask some questions. Are you okay with the slow updates? With school, it's harder to write, as my brain is drained by the end of the day. Also, where do you think I should go next with this? I'm not saying I'm insecure about it, or that I've ran out of ideas, but I want to hear what you guys would like to see in it.

Bye!


	26. Home Sweet but Messy Home

"Oh yeah… I proposed last night didn't I?" Angela asked nonchalantly, as if it was something as simple as forgetting to lock the front door before she went to bed. "Huh. So now that I'm awake and it's not like four in the morning, would you tell me your answer?" He leaned back, letting his head fall over the edge of the couch, bumping the wall slightly. Angela winced at the sound of the _thunk_ it made.

"Well, I accept of course. What did you think I would say?" Gill replied, to which Angela puckered her lips and looked at her feet.

"I thought you would yell and get mad again and then we wouldn't talk for a long time," she mumbled with a pout in her voice. Gill rolled his eyes at her childish answer and pushed Angela's hair back, her normally bright eyes were somewhat bloodshot and heavy bags hung under them. She looked like she had been punched in the face; it was truly pitiful.

"You're really something, aren't you?" He mused aloud. "I promise to never yell at you again, as long as you don't put yourself in so much danger again. Getting sick is one thing. Getting sick and trying to do all of your work is something I would get angry at you about." Gill ruffled his hair, as if to stir up a better way to say it. "I mean… I don't really get _angry_. I just get, and I hate to say it, terrified." Sick of his emotional conversation, he changed the subject. "You need rest in your own house. I'll walk you home." Angela nodded drowsily as she pulled on her coat and slipped into her shoes. They were silent for the walk home, both developing migraines from the few hours of sleep they had gotten. After what seemed like hours, they found themselves at her door. She fumbled with the key, her mind muddled. Gill, who was able to cope a bit more with little sleep, unlocked the door with ease to let her inside.

"Be careful on your way home, my fiancé!" Angela called. Her soft bed felt like a cloud even though the sheets hadn't been washed in weeks, and the blanket was tangled in a big lump. Compared to her previous places to sleep, it was amazing. Showering and changing into clean clothes could wait.

"Dad?" Gill asked apprehensively. His father turned around, concerned by his tone. "I'm…" he cleared his throat, "I guess I'm getting married." Hamilton covered his mouth in shock. Married? His son? "I know it's kind of sudden, but early this morning, Angela showed up, asked me to marry her, and passed out. I just walked her home for her to get some rest. You're okay with this, right?"

"I'm more than okay with it, my boy! Who would've thought that my little son would grow up to marry such a charming young woman like Angela?" Hamilton continued to ramble happily, though Gill had tuned out his voice after about thirty seconds. The town would know about everything within a day's time, and Gill dreaded it. But for now, he let his dad have his moment.


	27. Interesting

**A/N- I had a fun couple days with gastroenteritis! I had to go to the hospital because of the dehydration the throwing up gave me… I am just not lucky with getting sick! Luckily, I'm all better now and definitely getting back up to my normal 100 pounds. Woo!**

Angela awoke rather slowly, her mind still fuzzy from a dream she didn't remember. As the fog cleared, something dawned on her. She was engaged! Not only that, but she was engaged to the man she thought absolutely hated her. A thought immediately crossed her mind- she had to call Julius! She scrambled for her cheap phone and dialed the number she had dialed so many times.

"Hola! Julius speaking!" He answered, as cheerful sounding as per usual.

"Julius, this is Angela. I have some mega-important news, so listen real good." She replied seriously, tapping her feet.

"Sounds dramatic. My ears are wide open, darlin'."

"So, uh…" she paused to swallow the growing lump in her throat. "I'm getting married!" A relieved puff of air flew out of her mouth. A loud gasp exploded from the receiving end of the phone.

"Oh. My. Goodness!" Julius exclaimed loudly. Angela recoiled from the phone, her ear ringing. "I _so_ knew that he would propose to you! So what was it like? Romantic? Sudden and dramatic? C'mon, tell me everything!"

"Actually, uh…I proposed." Angela replied, clearing her throat. "But it was sudden and dramatic; that's for sure." The line went silent for a few moments.

"Way to be a strong woman, Angie! It's so like you to take control. Kudos! So, listen up. I have a date with Candace in 20 minutes and I need to brush myself up a bit. We'll talk more later, 'kay? Bye!" Angela had never heard him sound so extraordinarily happy. She assumed it was more due to Candace than her, but with him, who knows? After putting the phone the back on the receiver, she fell back onto her bed, smiling. The idea of her being married had never crossed her mind when she had first moved there. But there she was, gaga over the town's snobbiest boy. She daydreamed of herself in a wedding dress with a dreamy expression on her face. It would be pretty, white, and glitter like the stars in the sky. She wanted to look like a princess, if only for a day. With a tired sigh, she went to scrub every last bit of dirt off of herself.

"So when's the wedding?" Hamilton asked Gill excitedly. "Soon, I hope?" Gill shrugged.

"We haven't really decided on a date yet. We're not in a hurry or something." Hamilton frowned.

"How about a week from now?"

"I'd really like Angela's opinion first…And isn't that ridiculously soon to get married?" He signed. "We went over it a little bit, and we don't want to rush right into it. There's a lot of planning that goes into a wedding." Honestly, his dad was too impatient for his liking. Even he was more patient than his father. Hamilton looked as if he was desperately wracking his mind for something to get Gill to agree for the short-term wedding.

"Don't you want to see Angela in a wedding dress?" He asked, bright-eyed. Obviously this would win his son over! Gill scowled, turned on his heel, and left, embarrassed. Of course he wanted to- who wouldn't? He mussed his hair in frustration as he stepped out of Town Hall. Work could wait. His walk to Angela's house was especially slow. He wanted time to think wonder what married life was like. Would his life become wildly different? Would he become less uptight? He knew that it was impossible to predict where his life would go when Angela was around.

To be squeaky clean and in fresh clothes felt heavenly. A towel was still wrapped around her hair as she made her bed, which she had always been awful it. She always ended up fumbling with the sheets when they popped off the end of her mattress. Frustration made her just ball up the sheets and sleep without sheets below her. The itching wasn't _that_ bad. Besides, the sheets were ugly in the first place. For once, she managed to fit the stubborn sheet over her bed. Before she was able to finish, a knock came at the door, and she had no doubt in her mind who it was. The door opened with a creak.

"Hi there, fiancé!" She greeted cheerfully. "Back so soon, Gill?" Gill shuffled his feet nervously, hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Angela. Uh, my dad is wondering when the wedding will be… He wants it to be in a week, but that's way too soon, of course." He replied, in his very matter-of-fact tone. Angela nodded in agreement.

"Wanna take a seat at the table so we can talk it over?" She asked. It would be an…interesting conversation, to say the least.


	28. You Look Weird When You Sleep

Angela thought winter would be a great season to get married. The snow would decorate her hair, leaving little melting stars on its way. The cold dust on the ground would puff when she stepped upon it with her glimmering white heels. Absolutely perfect. Gill, on the other hand, preferred a fall wedding. Perfectly cool weather- not too hot and not too old. It seemed Angela was more the extreme weather type. Well, not extreme, but very distinct. She loved the summer and the winter more than any other seasons. For minutes, they sat describing the benefits of why _their_ season would be better. It was a bit of a comical argument, as Angela would start laughing when she tried to be serious.

"But the winter would be so pretty! Snowflakes all around and everyone would be huddled in their coats! Besides, getting snow in your hair is much less annoying than getting leaves in your hair," she argued, "I'd have to pick all the leaves out of my hair that that would be done really nicely…"

"Yes, but you'd probably get sick from the cold _again_ and end up sick on the actual wedding day." It was bizarre saying that phrase- _wedding day_. Never in his life had he imagined that he would marry so young; not that he cared. But the more he said it, the less strange it became. He was certainly relieved by that. His thoughts quickly shifted to his fiancée in a gown. In a wedding gown, no less. Sure, she had dressed up nicely for a few dates, but a wedding was no ordinary day. There was no doubt she would be even more beautiful than usual. The question was, how much more? It wasn't for about forty-five seconds that he realized he was staring into space, imagining the day.

Angela studied his face curiously. She wondered if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open- he did seem a bit distracted lately. Was he thinking about the special day like she was? Her jaw would draw when she saw him in a tux. She was a total sucker for men in tuxedos. She would walk slowly down the aisle and he would turn to her and smile. Her head was rested on her hands, and felt herself slowly wanting to dream even more about that magical day. Angela's head hit the table with a bit of a thump, but at that point, she was already asleep. She wished she would dream of the wedding every night until it finally happened.

Gill finally snapped out of his daze to find Angela snoozing with her head on the table. It was funny though- even when she was asleep, she had the ridiculously goofy grin on her face. He laughed quietly, and grabbed the blanket that was lazily strewn across her couch. Her face seemed to relax when he draped it around her, though it still held a faint smile. He used this time to look around her house. Not that he was _snooping_, but Gill was simply curious. The bed's blankets seemed to be tied in a knot. The sink was surprisingly clean however. Maybe it was because she bought all of her food ate at the inn to avoid mess. However, it was probably due to her inability to cook. Her bookshelf was disorganized, but full of books. Upon closer investigation, they were all storybooks; the classic ones. He felt an overwhelming urge to organize _everything_, but he decided against it. Angela had told him that she only knew where things were in her house if it was messy. She was organized in her own way, apparently.

He knew that he would give in to Angela's idea of a winter marriage. It wasn't that he was weak or henpecked, but he just couldn't say no to her puppy-dog eyes. He considered leaving a note and leaving, but something caught his eye. On her nightstand was a photo of the two of them together within a heart shaped picture frame. He picked it up gently to find it freshly polished, as if she had done it just hours ago. Putting it back down, he noticed a flimsy pink camera to the side of the nightstand. A fleeting thought shot across his mind. Yes, it was a strange thing to do, but it would be worth it. He snapped two quick Polaroid pictures of her rather droopy sleeping face and placed the camera down in exactly the same place, in the same position. After scrawling a note on the back, Gill slipped one of the pictures under her elbow and slipped out of her house quietly.

Angela awoke warmer than she had remembered. She sat up suddenly, and felt a shooting pain in her neck. Sleeping with her head on a table was definitely not a good idea. Massaging it gently, she picked up the picture and laughed quietly. She flipped the picture over to see the note he had written in what he had called his messy handwriting.

_Angela,_

_ You look weird when you sleep. Good luck with your neck. _

_ Love, Gill._


	29. Scarred

"Ouch! Bad chicky! Bad chicky!" Angela wailed, putting Mr. Feathers onto the floor as gently as she could. She raised a hand to her cheek, where she had felt mild stinging. A fair amount of blood ran down her fingers. "Dammit," Angela muttered as she wiped her bloody fingers on her shorts, which, luckily, were black. Hand pressed to her cheek, she scurried into her house to investigate her face in the mirror. A rather large cut- not a gash, at least, was the length of her finger. She pinched the cut together with her fingers (covered by a tissue) and walked to the clinic, scowling. A scar on her face…Would Gill still think she was suitable to be a wife? Her feet dragged along the concrete path as she mumbled incoherently about how her favorite shirt was ruined by the stupid blood. "Uh…Jin? I kinda got scratched by my chicken when I giving him a chicken-checkup." Jin sighed. "I mean, it's not _that_ bad. I just didn't have any bandages to put over it, so I came here." She removed the blood-dampened tissue from her face.

"Alright," he replied calmly, shuffling through his drawer, "I'll just clean it and put this bandage on it." Clean it? That meant…rubbing alcohol. She was bracing herself far before he even reached her. "It's going to hurt." God, Jin could be so blunt. Angela clenched her teeth as he applied the liquid that burned her face. The burning subsided slightly when he placed the bandage on her face. "All done." She rummaged through her pockets in an attempt to find gold. "You don't need to pay for a minor cut, Angela." With a happy nod, she left the clinic, the cut still stinging. And who else but Gill saw her. She stuck her hands in her pockets, trying to look nonchalant about the entire situation. Unfortunately, she was easily found out that she was, in fact, faking it. In a final attempt, she whistled a nameless tune as she walked.

"Oh, uh, Gill! Fancy meeting you here!" Angela exclaimed brightly, covering her cheek with her palm. He looked at her, confused.

"I live here… And what's under your hand?" Gill asked suspiciously.

"N-nothing! I just, uh… How has your day been? The weather's great, isn't it?" She asked, taking a few steps back.

"If there's nothing, let me see," he replied bluntly, grasping her arm. Angela managed to slide her other hand over the place he had nearly revealed. He frowned. "What is it you're trying to hide so much?"

"It's really nothing interesting; no need to be curious about it." She continued to take slow steps backward until a precariously placed rock threw her off balance. Her hands flailed in attempt to catch herself, but was instead caught by Gill. The bandage was greeted with concerned eyes.

"Is this what you were trying to cover? What happened?" He asked. The closeness of his face to hers was making her fidget uncomfortably.

"My chicken scratched my face when I was holding him… I didn't want to make you worry so I hid it," Angela murmured, "I don't want to see you sad, is all…" She finished, looking down at her feet. "B-but who would want to marry a girl with a big scar on her face?" Her voice started to crack as she continued. "It's going to be ugly and everyone will make fun of me!" Angela rubbed her eyes. Gill sighed and pulled her into a hug.

"You'll always be beautiful to me, even if you lose an arm, or have an eye pop out. And whoever makes fun of you is just jealous of such a great battle scar." He pulled away. "It's starting to bleed through; I'll take you back to the clinic." Angela nodded, and smiled radiantly through her dampened eyelashes.


	30. Fears

**A/N- Nooo, winter break ended on the 3****rd****! But I'm glad I was able to update as much as I did. I can't stop myself from writing more, like there are so many more ideas I can stuff into this! Ho-hum. I haven't even written in a festival yet. :C Anyway, on with the show!**

**Chapter 29**

Angela grumbled about being able to take care of her wounds herself as they left the clinic with a handful of spare bandages. She really didn't appreciate being called the "clinic addict" by her own fiancé.

"It's not like I was _mauled_ by my chicken, Gill. Honestly, you're acting like you don't remember I almost died a while ago," she ranted, "Haven't you ever gotten hurt, like physically?" Gill stopped to think for a moment. Had he? He really didn't play outside much as a kid, obviously. Most of the time, he was inside reading or doing math, alone.

"I tripped and skinned my knee when I was five…" He said quietly, seeming disappointed for whatever reason. Angela raised her eyebrows, as if to say _that's it?_ He continued to search his mind for any histories of injuries besides the bruises he had earned at Angela's farm. No matter how hard Gill thought, he couldn't recall anything.

"Humph. One of these days, Gill, one of these days. If you spend too much time around me, you'll end up getting hurt in one way or another." She laughed. "I just like to have fun. Unfortunately for you, that means taking risks." Angela paused and chewed on the inside of her lip. Gill knew that face all too well; she was planning something. Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "I know what'll be fun!"

"…What will be fun?" Gill asked warily.

"No time for questions! Let's go!" She grabbed his hand tightly and started to run, Gill stumbling behind her. To tell the truth, Angela wondered herself why she had decided to take him to the mine cart. She had just recently gotten over her fear of it due to a rather unpleasant experience including the bridge. They skidded to a stop in front of the cart, which looked as if it had been refurbished. "Here we are. Ready?"

"It's dirty in there and-"Gill started, but was cut off by a clumsy kiss from Angela.

"Aww, come on. Live a little!" Angela pouted. "I loooove you!" She whined, batting her eyelashes. He sighed.

"Fine, just this once," he replied, "under one condition." Angela furrowed her eyebrows and stuck her hands in her pockets, disappointed. However, she nodded. "Spring wedding."

"B-but…" She let out a puff of air through her lips. "Okay…" Pleased with himself, he lifted her into the cart. "Oh, so you're macho-man now, Gill? I could've gotten in there myself like a strong farmer…person…"

"Nervous?"

"O-of course not! I never get scared! The m-mine cart is completely s-safe." She mumbled quickly. Gill looked at her expectantly. "Will you hold my hand?" Angela asked, wringing her hands together. He smiled for a moment and held onto it tightly. As the cart took off, she clung to his arm with her eyes closed. "I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared!" Angela said loudly enough for Gill to hear her. He pulled her closer to him to somewhat comfort her. As the ride of terror came to a halt, Angela averted her eyes from Gill. "I…I guess I'm not as fearless as I act."

"I can tell," he said, smoothing her hair down, followed by his own. "You know we have to go down the same way right?" Eyes widening, Angela bit her lip nervously. "It's okay to have fears, Angela. Don't worry."

"Are you afraid of something?" She asked. He really should have seen that question coming, but there wasn't any turning back.

"Hmm…I'm afraid of loss, I guess." Gill looked away.

"Is it because…?"

"Yeah. It is," he replied, taking a deep breath. Angela gulped and grabbed his hand.

"Can I ask how she…she…" She mumbled, "died? I mean, you don't have to, but-"  
>"I'll tell you. I've been meaning to, anyway." Gill closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. "She… fell from the same place you did, but she… She didn't make it like you", he replied, his voice slightly cracking. Without a single word, Angela hugged him and held him tightly.<p>

"Shh… It'll be alright," she whispered, "you're going to be just fine."


	31. You Jerk!

**A/N- Thank you Martin Luther King Jr., for giving me a day off of school. 3 day weekend! That means more time to write~ I really need to find a stopping point, but it's so difficult! Sorry that the chapters are turning "drabble-y", but school is totally draining me, but I like writing too much to not produce anything at all.**

**Chapter 30**

"And then, and then," Angela wailed, "He said my nose looked weird!" Gill chewed the inside of his lip as he listened to her talk about moments from her childhood. She had just finished talking about how a boy in second grade called her ugly. It wasn't that he didn't like listening to her stories; it was just that they were getting more and more petty by the instant. She dropped her ice cream; she tripped while she was playing jump rope, and various other things he had forgotten within ten minutes. "Gill? Are you listening?" Angela questioned, snapping Gill out of his daze. He scrambled for an answer, until he finally found a way to answer.

He pulled the lever to let the cart go back down.

"You jerk!" She shouted as the mine cart screamed down the track, lightly pummeling his arm. "You _weren't_ listening!" Gill shrugged and wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She buried her face in his sleeve, occasionally popping an eye open to look at him. Angela blushed and closed her eyes when she realized he was looking back at her. Sheesh. The nerve of some people. "And I call you my fiancé…" she grumbled, stepping out of the death-mobile. Angela stumbled a bit, dizzy from the ride, but before she could slam her face onto the ground, Gill caught her.

"I wouldn't be so rude if you stopped finding ways to hurt yourself," he said, "What happened to the 'invincible Angela'?" She shot him a dirty look before laughing.

"Whatever! And uh…Thanks for listening, I guess," she started before glaring jokingly, "Even though you didn't know what I was talking about." Angela twiddled her thumbs as they walked back to town, nervous to bring up what she wanted to say. "So…It's almost Spring… And you know that I agreed to your, uh…wedding idea." He seemed to catch on quickly to her point. "Is Spring 15th okay?"

"Yeah, and there are the…invitations, and err…" He mumbled, fidgeting. Trying to plan the wedding would prove to be difficult.


	32. The Glamorous Wedding

**A/N- I bet you thought I was dead, right? No sirree! Midterms x_x If they went any longer, maybe I would be dead. So uh, I'm thinking one more chapter, and then ending this "saga". The ending will be great, I promise! (Once I come up for an idea…)**

It was one in the afternoon on Spring 15th, which was supposed to be the happiest day of Angela's life. Instead, she found herself, in her beautiful white gown, falling into a mud puddle. The muddy stain ran from the very bottom of the dress up to her waist. The wedding was going to begin in ten minutes, and there she was, crying her eyes out over her ruined outfit. Julius and Candace made it themselves, and she had gone and destroyed it. Nonetheless, she ran as fast as she could in her high-heeled shoes toward the church. She would be quite the display. Elli said she'd turn heads, and she was right.

When Angela skidded to a halt in front of the church, it was _her_ turn to walk down the aisle, to her _own_ wedding. She stepped inside, the picture of grace and style with her ruffled hair, running mascara, and a filthy gown. Everyone she knew was inside, eyes widening at her appearance. Angela's heart was pounding for the moment when Gill would turn around and see her. She tried to ignore the muffled gasps and mutters as her feet slowly brought her closer to him. Her eyes snapped shut as her husband-to-be slowly turned to face her.

Gill blinked a few times at Angela's appearance. It was funny; he had expected this. She opened her eyes very slowly with a pitiful expression. He leaned in closely and whispered so quietly, he was nearly inaudible.

"You still look beautiful, Angela," he whispered into her ear. Angela smiled and turned to Perry, her confidence renewed. The crowd seemed confused by Gill's small gesture, and why it made Angela so happy, but they watched the couple with glossy eyes.

After saying "I do" numerous times, Angela and Gill faced each other, wedding rings on both of their hands. Angela bit her lip nervously, before grinning and jumping into Gill's arms, kissing him on the lips over and over. He nearly toppled to the ground from the force of her weight. The crowd hooted and whistled as she let herself down.

"Oh, I ruined your suit! I'm so sorry!" Angela wailed, though her guilt was heavily overridden by the pure happiness the day had brought her.

"It doesn't matter; being with you more than makes up for it." He mumbled, clearly embarrassed by his words. They jumped suddenly as a camera flashed, capturing their little moment. Angela looked at the table outside of the church door and spotted a bouquet, which was probably for her to carry. She scrambled to grab it and encouraged the (single) women of the audience to gather behind her. Hoping they wouldn't claw each other's eyes for it, she tossed it with as much strength as possible. And out of all the women's arms for it to fall into, Elli was the one to catch it. What had started out as the worst wedding Angela could have imagined, ended as possibly the happiest day of her life. She could only anticipate the years to come- year after year with the boy who claimed to hate her so long ago.


	33. Finale

"Angela, let me help."

"It's my body; I don't need your help…" She grumbled, slowly bending down to reach her watering can. Unfortunately, her giant belly was mostly blocking the can out of her vision. She _knew_ it was there.

"You can't even see your feet, let al-" Angela stopped and glared at him. His eyes widened and he took a few steps back. "I-I mean, uh…" She looked at him expectantly. "H-have I told you that your skin looks great today?" That seemed to cool her down a bit, thankfully. Angela swiped the watering can from the ground and left the house, brooding. From the beginning, the pregnancy had been torturous, and he felt almost relieved that it would be over soon. The mood swings weren't _as_ awful as they were rumored to be, but they were rather offsetting. Angela would often remark that she felt like a penguin with the way she waddled from time to time. He heard a sharp cry from outside and he immediately burst through the door. "Angela! What happened?" Angela looked over at him.

"I nicked my thumb on a rose thorn…" She mumbled, showing Gill the slight cut on it, a small bead of blood forming. He sighed in relief.

"That's what all that was about? Scared me half to death…" Angela suddenly hunched over, gripping her stomach, sweating and breathing heavily.

"I... I think I…" Angela choked out as her knees buckled beneath her. It was difficult getting her to the clinic- he really hadn't gotten much stronger. However, it was worse to not be able to sit with his wife as she cried and clenched her teeth.

"_Thank goodness for meds…" _Angela thought as the anesthetic began so set in. To be honest, she was playing it up _just_ a little bit. She couldn't feel anything below her waist, but she wanted it to seem dramatic like it was in the movies. Her drug induced haze was broken when she heard the air piercing scream of a baby. _Her_ baby. "Oh, she's beautiful…" Angela whispered as Irene handed the baby to her, wrapped in a blanket.

"Actually, it's a boy, Angela dear." Irene corrected her. Angela blinked blearily.

"Ohh. He's beautiful…" She yawned, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead. "Let Gill name him, I'm going to sleep," she mumbled, holding…Benjamin, in her arms, as she slowly drifted off. "Goodnight, Benny." Gill walked into the room, having slightly overheard Angela's woozy speaking.

"Do you think we should tell her that it's eleven in the morning?"

_fin_


End file.
